


Drown Me in Your Arms

by blakesparkles



Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Angst, Anti hisses a lot and he's like a snake puppy, Anti likes shining things, Anxiety, Bonfire, Chapter 9 will be a Bonus Chapter!, Dry Humping, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Falling In Love, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Jack for once is tough, Jack's confused, M/M, Mates, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Nudity, Panic Attacks, Pirate AU, Possessive Behavior, Rimming, Scents, Sexual Content, Sharing a Bed, Siren, Siren!Anti, Slow Burn, They Are Idiots, Wooing, but not really, courting, creature sex, inebriation, jellyfishes, more like an Epilogue tbh but a bit shorter than the rest!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-20
Updated: 2018-03-15
Packaged: 2019-03-21 19:55:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 48,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13748118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blakesparkles/pseuds/blakesparkles
Summary: There, in the darkness of the deep blue sea, lies a creature that lurks in the water and that hunts for another prey.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaah here I go again with another janti AU hahah. Shoutout to [Cae](http://anxiousgod.tumblr.com/) for bringing up this idea! Enjoy! ♥  
> 

There, in the darkness of the deep blue sea, lies a creature that lurks in the water and that hunts for another prey. He swims gracefully between seaweed and smaller fishes, fins dancing beautifully. The siren spins, his long, dark green tail making a spiral, and he breathes through his gills on his neck and below his ribs. The creature’s skin would be almost pure black, blending with the deep ocean, if it wasn’t for the little dots of green that glow and guide his way. Spots that kiss his face and shoulders, shining to lure prey whenever he wants. The siren bares his sharp teeth and raises his dark claws to a shark nearby and the fish swims away, creating bubbles under the sea. He didn’t even have to show his barbed stinger, in the end of his tail, and he smirks. The creature continues to wander through his land, throat itching to sing. The siren scratches his throat and he groans, hair swaying with every move he makes. He goes down, brushing his tail on the sand and enjoying the feeling, before lying there.

 

His tail curls up around him and he rests his back against the sand, gills opening and closing with every breath. The siren looks up and he squints his black eyes, staring at the very faint traces of light above the surface. He hums and the end of his tail wags lazily. It will soon be night and the siren craves food, something new that it is not small fishes in the sea. It’s been a long time since the creature had a proper meal and he grunts under his breath, glaring at the surface. No humans have been idiotic enough to stay near the shore and it’s getting annoying. Disappointing, really.

 

Anti, the siren, remains where he is and waits for the sun to set. He watches the lights grow weaker, changing to a faint orange until it is dark again. The moon’s reflection dances underwater and the creature stretches himself, groaning in pleasure and slowly swimming to the surface. When the water breaks for him, the siren shakes his head and the gills on his neck close, breathing from the ones on his ribs instead. He blinks, water drops streaming down from his dark face, and he scans the area. Anti is far from civilization, forgetting to keep track of where he is when underwater, and he purses his lips. The waves of the sea are like a melody in the air and he gently moves with them.

 

The creature clicks his split tongue and puts his green hair back with his webbed fingers, eyes wandering everywhere. There’s no sign of life, so Anti looks up at the night sky and finds the shiniest star before going towards it. The siren swims for a long time and, when he begins to feel too frustrated, he finally sees lights above. The siren peeks, still far away that no one will notice him, and there’s a ship in the middle of the ocean. It is not as big as many that he has seen but it appears to have humans, and that’s all Anti needs to know. He watches for a bit, wanting to know how many people are there, and his green glow fades to nothing so he can hide. Anti knits his eyebrows, noticing there are not many people, so he dives to swim closer.

 

He sees the anchor below, keeping them in place, and he touches the chain very gently before rising again. Anti’s in front of a woman’s statue, holding a lantern that guides the men, and he squints his black eyes when looking up. His ear fins perk up at the sounds, chatting further in the ship, and he scrunches up his nose at the smell in the air. For what Anti can tell, these humans are drinking and singing terribly, hurting the siren’s ears. The creature scoffs but freezes when he hears footsteps coming closer. Anti goes underwater, talons still clinging to the end of the ship, and he sees someone leaning on the ship, with their arms resting on the edge of it. The siren carefully pokes his head out to see better and there’s a sigh above.

 

Anti sees a man, looking ahead and unaware, and his lips part at the sight. The man has pale skin and brown hair, curling slightly over his forehead. He’s wearing one of those long garments, of a dark blue tone that makes his sapphire eyes stand out, and he has a beard. The creature’s heart beats faster and his stomach growls, throat itching. The human’s cheeks are slightly red, probably from drinking, and Anti licks his lips. The siren observes him some more and then, his skin turns as pale as the human’s. Anti’s eyes change to a bright green and he imitates the man. The creature becomes as beautiful as him, beginning to glow to lure him. Anti’s hair remains of a dark shade of green but copies the boy’s haircut. He rumbles.

 

The human finally looks down when he hears the creature and his eyes widen, lips parting as if he’s about to scream. Anti smiles, with no longer sharp teeth, and he opens his mouth to sing. The man freezes and the siren lets his voice consume him. Anti’s song has no lyrics and it’s pure melody, like the waves of the sea itself that lulls men to sleep. The human’s face falls and he stares at Anti through half-lidded eyes, glassy and far away. The creature sinks his claws on the wooden ship and slowly rises from the water, getting closer and closer. The boy leans down as far as he can, and it is a pity that such a beautiful human will have a terrible fate.

 

The green-haired siren lures him and smiles sweetly, raising a hand to touch the man’s face. Cold water streams down the human’s cheek and Anti feels his warm breath hit his own face, so near. The siren slowly pulls him as if they are about to kiss and, when the boy closes his eyes, the creature hisses and shows his sharp teeth. His skin turns dark again, glowing and menacing, and he sinks his claws on the boy’s shoulder. However, before Anti can completely have the man for himself, there’s a shout in the air that makes the siren let go of him. The creature falls into the water with a scowl and bares his teeth when seeing another man approaching. He calls the boy _Jack_ and Anti can’t quite understand the rest of his words. The brown-haired man mumbles something incoherent, still feeling the trace of Anti’s spell, and the siren holds back a hiss before swimming further down.

 

The siren growls but remains with the boy’s form, still wishing for him. The human looked so beautiful, so innocent under the moonlight. Anti purses his lips but doesn’t give up on them, wanting to see that brown-haired man once more. His ear fins perk up at the muffled discussion above, followed by silence, and he scowls. The boy - Jack - must be feeling really confused by now, spell fading and mind foggy. The siren grumbles and stays beneath the ship, not wanting to let go of the first sight of humans after so long. There’ll be another opportunity, he will make sure of it. Anti wanders below, catching small prey to feed himself, and his speckles glow in the dark. They remain in place until the moon is almost away, anchor finally rising from the ground and stirring the creature from his half-asleep state.

 

He follows the ship and sometimes takes a look from above, hoping to see that man on the edge. The siren hears him sometimes, voice muffled and carried by the wind, and he wishes to listen better. Anti purses his lips when the sun goes up but he stays determined, despite boredom taking over his mind. The creature narrows his eyes, now green, and he feels the earth rumble. The clouds become grey and the sunlight is hidden by them, threatening rain. The men point at the sky and sail carefully, waiting for the worst to happen. Anti grins and watches them, wishing for a storm that will wreck their ship completely. His tail wags excitedly and his ear fins move up and down, trying not to glow again and reveal himself.

 

It is only late in the day that the first raindrop falls and the siren stares at the waves moving with them, a blurry reflection of the sky. The creature growls in expectation and the life under the sea is anxious, listening to the ship creak in their realm. The men adjust their sails and Anti listens to that boy shout again from afar, getting ready for the storm. The world turns dark and the waves are agitated, making the creature dance with it. He swims around the ship, speckles beaming underwater when he sees the boy running left and right. The human’s hair is hidden by a hat but his blue eyes can be seen even from here. They’re soaking with the rain and there’s thunder striking in the sky, lightning threatening to hit them.

 

Anti touches the wooden ship with his talons, finally rising from his land and revealing himself. It takes a moment for the boy to notice him and the siren flashes an innocent smile, letting a melody fall from his lips. The human knits his eyebrows, as if he wants to look away, but Anti knows there’s no chance of him fighting back such spell. The green-haired creature sings with the rain and the boy groans, taking a few steps closer and leaning down. He’s still glaring at the siren and Anti doesn’t like that one bit, so he climbs up to him and cups his face. Anti stops singing for a split second, blown away by the human’s beauty. His heart races and he pulls the victim again. The boy gasps, grimacing, and they fall into the ocean, splashing in the middle of the storm.

 

Anti’s tail immediately curls all around him, trapping the human in his arms, and they lock their gaze. The siren’s smile falls and the boy holds his breath, trying to fight the creature’s hold. The hat flew away from their movements and now, Anti sees brown hair swaying in the water. The human’s cheeks are red, filled with life, and his blue eyes match the ocean itself. They’re chest-to-chest and the siren pulls them down as much as he can. The ship fades above and the brown-haired man has a painful expression on his face, spasming against him. Anti watches it all, green speckles radianting in the dark. He tightens his tail around Jack, not enough to break his bones. Not yet. The man struggles to keep his mouth closed, bubbles of air appearing between them, and he chokes. The siren knows he should be feeling excited, beaming to watch the life leaving a human’s body. However, this feeling never comes and he frowns.

 

Anti touches his cheek, ignoring the boy’s panicked state, and he hums. He clashes their lips together, stealing a kiss and listening Jack’s muffled groans. The human finally opens his mouth, air leaving his lungs, but he oddly kisses back. Anti gives his breath and untangles himself from the man before pushing him away. The brown-haired man floats midwater, confused and lost, half-lidded eyes trying to focus on the creature. Anti grunts and takes the man to the surface as quickly as he can. The boy’s eyes flutter, close to passing out, and they emerge with a gasp. Jack has no strength to keep himself on the surface, choking and coughing like a madman, so Anti rolls his eyes while bringing him closer to the ship. There is shouting in the air and the siren perks up at the sounds mixed with the thunder.

 

The human has his arms around the creature’s shoulders and they look at each other, panting and scowling. It’s silent from a split second and Jack opens his mouth as if he’ll speak something, only to be interrupted by the other men above. They look up to see angry looks and fingers pointing at the siren, taking their weapons to aim. Anti’s heart picks up and he bares his teeth, pushing the human away so he can flee. The brown-haired man coughs again and raises a hand to his men, trying to speak but failing. The siren dives and there’s a sudden sharp pain on his right arm that makes him screech. He sees a spear sinking down to the depths of the sea and Anti narrows his eyes, feeling the cut on his skin that leaves blood in the water.

 

In this moment of distraction, there’s a splash that calls his attention and he looks around to find a fishing net flung in his direction. The siren screams and his tail tangles on the rope, claws trying to break free. He thrashes himself against the damn thing, but it only makes him more confused, not knowing where to swim. Anti screeches when they raise him from the water, hissing and spasming in the net until there’s a loud tud. He groans and he sinks his talons to feel hardwood underneath him. The siren’s gills open and close frantically and he curls around himself, rope still over him that keeps him in place. His wide eyes change to pitch black, suddenly too panicked to focus on his form, and he shakes furiously.

 

There’s a flash of lightning in the sky that makes everything look as bright as day and he sees that boy on the deck of the ship, groaning and unaware. It’s hard to breathe and Anti bares his sharp teeth when the men approach him. Anti can’t fucking believe he let himself have a moment of weakness and now, look at where he is. The creature lashes out and it feels weird being in this place. His tail wags desperately, hoping to slash one of the humans, and his right arm stings from that spear. The siren screams one more time in the middle of the storm before someone hits him on the head with something heavy and Anti falls limp on the ground with a thud, vision turning black. Everything goes dead silent for a long, long time.

 

Anti groans, knitting his eyebrows, and he tries to gather his bearings. His head hurts, throbbing, and his neck is stiff from a weird position. The siren slowly opens his eyes to find his wrists tied-up behind his back and there’s fabric around his head that shuts his mouth, making the creature scowl. He grimaces, realizing he’s in a wooden tub, half of his long tail touching the ground. This is too small for him and he can barely move. The gills on Anti’s neck close and he has to focus on his breathing, not wanting to panic. Anti can tell that the water is at least from the ocean and he sees his true form reflecting in it, black eyes and dark scales with green speckles.

 

The creature looks around the place he’s in, seeing a large bed in the end of the room and simple wooden furniture filled with knick-knacks that he doesn’t quite understand. There are garments here and there, hats with feathers and shining objects that call Anti’s attention. He can feel the place moving and creaking, so he’s still in the ship. The siren remembers what happened, hating himself for being vulnerable in front of these humans. How stupid of him! Distracted by someone’s beauty! Ridiculous. The other creatures would mock him. He groans and tries biting the gag in his mouth, sharp teeth chewing the damn thing. Anti needs to get out of here, who knows what they will do to him! The siren’s ears perk up at footsteps approaching and his eyes widen, sinking more into the tub in a vain attempt to hide himself.

 

The door across from him opens and the sudden sunlight in the darkness of the room makes him flinch. When he sees that boy in front of him, Anti immediately changes to him again and they lock their gaze. They’re both staring with large eyes and the human’s frozen, still holding the door knob. He’s wearing that dark blue coat and white shirt underneath, long leather boots and rings around his fingers. Anti growls, muffled by the gag, and he glares. The boy looks at the tail moving on the floor and then back at the siren, as if he’s unsure of what to do. He slowly closes the door and takes a deep breath, swallowing hard. Anti’s right arm stings and he scowls.

 

“You are awake…” he says and Anti’s ears flicker at the sound of his voice, finally listening to it properly. “Do you understand me?” The green-haired creature hisses through the gag and the human huffs, dragging his hands over his face. “By the stars, the fuck am I gonna do…”

 

It’s quiet for a moment and he watches the brown-haired man pick up a chair to sit down by his side, but still keeping his distance. Anti growls, chest rumbling, and he follows the boy’s every move. The human sighs and pushes strands of hair away from his forehead, only to fall back in place. He leans his elbows on his knees before speaking again.

 

“I’ve never…” he sighs. “I never thought we would see something like you… My men acted while I was unconscious, I didn’t expect for them to capture you like this. You got yourself in a big mess, didn’t you?” Anti’s growls come to a stop and the boy purses his lips. “I’m Jack… I think you forgot to ask my name before you tried to kill me, huh?”

 

Anti tilts his head, resting on the edge of tub, and he takes a deep breath, chest rising up and down. He looks at Jack through half-lidded eyes, tail swishing lazily. The boy narrows his eyes and he makes a funny sound.

 

“Are you trying to seduce me again?” Jack asks and the creature purrs. He tries moving closer, leaning his chin on the wooden tub, and the human raises an eyebrow. He may not be able to sing right now but it doesn’t mean he can’t lure the man in some way. The brown-haired man parts his lips and shakes his head. “Stop that…”

 

The door creaks open again and Anti moves back, grunting and raising his tail as much as he can. Jack turns around and puts his arms in the air when another man walks in with a glare. The siren growls and scowls back, splashing the little water that he has. This person has light hair, thin stubble on his face, and his blue eyes are not as beautiful as Jack’s. They discuss about the boy not warning them about the siren’s awakening and he says that it’s dangerous to be left alone with the creature. Jack insists that everything is under control and that Anti’s tied-up just like they left him.

 

The man crosses his arms, narrowing his eyes but trusting the boy. When the brown-haired man asks what they are going to do with him, the chubby one murmurs something about simply studying it for a bit. Anti hates that he used _it_ and he hisses through the gag, calling back their attention. Jack scratches the back of his head and the siren is not pleased with this, not at all. They want to watch him like he’s a caged animal? No fucking way. Anti wants out. They’re making a mistake keeping him here, for the creature will attack them as soon as he gets the chance. He will eat them in their sleep, rip their throats wide open. The siren growls louder and his ears turn into fins, talons sharpening behind his back because of his fantasy. Their eyes widen and the intruder takes a step back, wanting to bring Jack with him. The boy purses his lips.

 

“Maybe we could kill it instead,” the man murmurs.

 

“Robin!” Jack says. “You’re making him more furious, this is not helping!”

 

“Excuse me, you almost died _twice_! I’m trying to be reasonable here. We can’t let the siren go, it’ll only call more of them and bring us death!”

 

“This isn’t who we are and you know that. I didn’t ask for this either but if that’s all we got, I’d rather just… keep him for now. Maybe we can come to terms and let him go afterwards.”

 

“But-”

 

“We will _not_ kill him and that’s an order. Let everyone know that,” Jack glares.

 

Robin sighs. “Aye, captain.”

 

Anti is quiet now, only watching the men back and forth. The intruder - Robin - finally leaves, a bit reluctant and looking at them from over his shoulder before closing the door. The creature’s tail falls graciously, end touching the floor, and he looks back at the boy. Jack looks distressed and he huffs, rounded cheeks puffing with air. The siren tilts his head to admire him, catching his gestures, and the human looks back at him. Jack asks why he looks like him, but Anti moves his head up, showing the gag and wanting it gone. The boy only shakes his head and tells him _No_. They both glare and Anti turns around, as if saying they are done for now. Jack snorts and focuses on something else in his room.

 

The siren looks at him through the corner of his eye, watching him sort some papers and grumble to himself. There’s a shining object in his hand and Anti’s pupils widen, wanting to have it but staying still. He can steal it once he’s free. The siren’s fingers turn sharp and he starts fidgeting with the rope around his wrists, slowly trying to cut it. He stops when Jack turns to him and murmurs something about coming back later. That he better behave or there will be consequences. Anti hisses and watches him leave the bedroom, ship creaking in the ocean. There’s no sound of thunder and the air isn’t as heavy as before, so the siren grunts at the thought of this place not coming apart. Tragic, really.

 

Anti grimaces from this weird position, wanting to move his body like before. This water will soon run out of oxygen for him and that’s not good. Anti’s chest and arms are starting to dry and everything feels utterly uncomfortable. The green-haired creature moves his torso to sink further and dips his head for a moment. He sighs and adjusts himself back, hating that his tail is out in the open, scales drying as well. Anti continues to tug on the rope and bite on the gag but he groans, heart palpitating and fingers trembling. There’s this side of him that’s freaking out over this situation, wanting to scream, but he tries to swallow it as much as he can.

 

The siren shuts his eyes hard enough to see multiple colorful dots and he takes harsh breaths, chest hurting. When Anti’s claws slip on the rope more than once, he growls and thrashes himself in the wooden tub. He loses patience and gets too agitated, hitting the damn thing over and over. The siren suddenly turns the tub to the side with a stronger hit and he falls onto the floor, water splashing. He grunts and wags his tail madly, desperately trying to do something. Anti gasps and his heart beats frantically, curling around himself when he can’t finish cutting the ropes and he can’t move further. He takes a deep breath, actual lungs filling with air, but it stings. The creature wails in pain and his body below feels tense, cramping. There are heavy footsteps and the door opens, Jack running towards him with a frightened face. Anti whimpers and makes a motion with his chin, begging freedom.

 

“Fuck!” Jack swears. “The hell did you do?!”

 

He puts the tub back in place and runs to get more water while the siren squirms on the floor. Anti groans when Jack hoists him by the armpits and complains that he’s heavy. The motion makes the rope snap and the siren immediately brings the boy down, taking the gag off his mouth and pinning the human with his body. He hisses, sharp teeth threatening to devour anything, split tongue lolling out like a snake, and he tugs on the boy’s hair with sharp talons. Jack groans back and there’s a sharp dagger poking against Anti’s side. He winces, feeling it cutting his skin.

 

“I fucking dare you to keep going,” the boy murmurs and they have a glaring competition. Anti’s struggling to breathe properly and he’s feeling too much pain, so he releases the human’s hair and his teeth turn normal. “I said I didn’t want to kill you in cold blood but if you attack me again, I won’t hesitate. Do you understand?”

 

Anti hisses and Jack pushes him away, bringing him back to the tub. The siren growls but his body is thankful to feel water again, cramps slowly fading. The boy moves to tie him up again but the creature shakes his head and makes a weird sound, trying to talk. It’s been so long since he spoke, let alone in their language, so his throat itches and the sound is broken. Jack asks if he’s trying to sing but Anti denies it with another grunt, normal hands raised to keep the human away. The brown-haired man purses his lips and it’s quiet for a moment, both thinking of how to make this situation better for themselves.

 

Anti’s hair is beginning to curl, exposed in the air, and he huffs with a glare. Jack eyes him up and down, sighing and kneeling to be the same height as the creature. The siren leans closer on purpose until their noses almost touch, but the human doesn’t lean back in a fright. Anti likes that. The boy looks down at the cut on the creature’s right arm and then at green eyes.

 

“If I leave you like this, will you try to sing?” Jack murmurs and the siren takes a moment to think, scanning the boy’s face. Anti hums and shakes his head. “It will end better for you if you just… do nothing. All I want is to make sure you won’t get us killed once you are out of here. That is all. Otherwise, I will have no other choice and… I want to trust you, alright?”

 

Anti rests his arms on the tub and tilts his head, watching his Adam’s apple move up and down as he speaks. Jack smells of the sea and something else that the siren can’t quite tell, but it’s sweet. They exchange a look, Anti’s tail swishing in curiosity, and the human waits for an answer. The creature doesn’t feel riled up when he’s there. Sure, he just attacked him again. But that’s because the green-haired creature was fucking scared and he wants out. It’s in his nature, to defend himself, to catch prey. However, Jack looks at him with no hesitation. There’s no fear like before, underwater, fighting for air. Like he has learned about the siren’s spell and will not fall for it again. Anti smirks, liking his attitude. No wonder he wanted to release the human from his arms. He’s not prey. Not at all.

 

“A-” the siren speaks, voice breaking. “A-Anti.”

 

Jack’s eyes widen a bit and his lips part. “Anti?” The creature perks up at the sound of his name on the boy’s lips, speckles on his cheeks glowing a little. “Is that your name? Anti?” He nods and Jack huffs with a smile. “Okay, that’s a start… I’ll just discuss some things with my men and tell them I’ll be in my quarters for the rest of the night. Just… Don’t do anything stupid. Again.”

 

The siren groans but waits for him, staring at the wooden ceiling. He sighs and his back hurts. Anti tries curling himself as much as he can, dipping his head and then adjusting better to the salty air. He pushes his wet hair back and listens to muffled voices around the ship. Anti purses his lips and touches the cut on his arm, scowling at it. The goddamn spear brushed just enough to hurt him. Great. Another scar. The one on his neck is enough already, thanks to another siren with their claws. It took Anti months to sing again, throat healing so slowly, and the creature’s paranoid whenever his voice falters in the middle of a song.

 

When Jack finally walks in once more, the green-haired creature catches a glimpse of the sky and the stars are up above. The human pays him no mind at first, removing his long coat and taking a bottle in his hands. It’s the same scent that made Anti scrunch up his face when he first showed up. It’s strong and unwelcome, but Jack seems to like it and he drinks from it with long gulps. The siren finds his garments funny, baggy sleeves from the white shirt and long boots. He likes the shining rings on Jack’s fingers, though. The brown-haired man puts the bottle down on a desk and finally looks at Anti, scratching the back of his head. He murmurs something about Anti making a mess and drenching his room. The creature shakes his head hard enough and splashes his tail so water gets everywhere. Jack sends him a deadpan look and the siren grins.

 

“This is going to be difficult…” the boy sighs. “My men suggested selling you, you know…” Anti hisses but his heart skips a beat, worry kissing his heart. “I don’t know, alright? I’m thinking about it.” He gathers some things before approaching the creature. Anti eyes the stuff in his hands and leans back, frowning. “Let me take care of that cut.”

 

“No,” Anti murmurs.

 

“It’ll get infected.”

 

“No!”

 

“Is that all you can say? Your name and _No_?” Jack huffs.

 

The creature purses his lips and thinks for a moment before moving his wounded arm closer to Jack. The human tentatively raises his hand to touch Anti, not making any harsh movements. The siren narrows his eyes but lets him clean the wound and it’s quiet. He listens to the boy’s breathing, copying it, and water runs down his face. Jack catches his gaze, looking at him through long eyelashes, and Anti admires him. Blue eyes that are like the ocean itself. The siren looks away, not wanting to drown in them. Instead, he looks at his cheeks, his nose, down to his neck. Jack murmurs some apology for his men hurting the creature and Anti hums, enjoying the sound of his voice. The human wraps a bandage around his right arm and the green-haired man can’t help but lean closer, staring at the boy’s hair and ears.

 

Jack finishes dealing with the cut and he gasps when looking up to find Anti so near. The siren is not disturbed by the proximity but the brown-haired man turns a light shade of pink. Anti’s pupils widen in curiosity, more than the human’s, and almost taking over the green. He raises a hand, imitating Jack’s motion, and he touches the man’s cheek. The water streams down to the boy’s neck and Anti watches it all. The boy’s skin is soft and he stays still while the creature’s hands explore his face. Jack feels warm and Anti absorbs all he sees, freckles shining and lightly purring. The human swallows and the creature sees his Adam’s apple moving. He feels the boy’s ears and hair, tilting his head as he wants. Jack lets him and he sighs, eyes almost closed. He looks pretty like this.

 

“I told you to stop that…” Jack mumbles, breathing shallow.

 

“I’m not doing anything,” Anti whispers and it’s easier to speak this time, voice a little higher than the human’s.

 

The brown-haired man knits his eyebrows and the creature cups his face, tail wagging. Jack’s eyes flutter and he shakes his head, leaning back and creating more space between them. Anti blinks and his hands drop in the water, glowing fading, and they both take a deep breath. Jack rubs his eyes as if waking up and he clears his throat. He asks why Anti looks like him again and the siren just murmurs something about them shifting to lure their prey. Nothing more. The brown-haired man looks exhausted, shoulders hunched down, and he’s worried about Anti being loose while he tries to catch some sleep. The creature is all but gentle and promises he won’t do anything. Jack narrows his eyes and Anti flashes an innocent smile, using a bit of his charm to convince the human.

 

The captain stands up to lock the door and he makes sure to keep the key close to his chest. He wants some time to think and rest, and Anti scowls. The siren watches the boy remove his boots and sit on his bed after turning off the lamps, both staring at each other from afar. Jack drags a hand over his face and Anti purses his lips, remembering the idea of being sold. That would be a terrible fate and he doesn’t like that at all. He rests his back against the wooden tub and stares down at the water, thoughtful. It takes a long time for the human to settle down, too anxious when there’s a creature in the same room but, eventually, he falls asleep. The green-haired siren listens to his slow breathing, chest moving up and down, and he looks at Jack’s feet poking from the covers.

 

Anti knits his eyebrows and recalls how he changed only once a long time ago. It hurt like hell, tail cramping and burning. He kept grunting and screaming until his body shifted completely, legs stretching and walking weirdly. Anti looks back at his tail and sighs, thinking about it. He could shift to walk out of this ship and dive into the ocean. It will take some time and he’ll have to be quiet so he won’t wake the boy up. The thought of being sold hovers of his mind and it only makes him want to try harder. As painful as it can be, he needs to. It was already a mistake to feel such weakness upon seeing this boy and the creature keeps letting himself be driven by him. Anti waits for Jack to be deep asleep, snoring softly in the middle of the night, before trying to get out without making a mess.

 

The siren pushes his upper body and places his arms on the floor, seeking support while he crawls out of the tub. He keeps watching the boy and the water dances in the night. He winces when all of his tail falls on the ground and he pushes himself away from the tub. Anti’s gills close completely and he grimaces, trying not to make a single sound. He takes deep breaths and his heart races when there’s a cramp taking over his body. The siren bites his lips and clenches his hands into fists, holding back whimpers. Anti’s mouth falls open in a silent scream and, after a couple of minutes, everything burns. He grinds his teeth and he squirms on the floor, hands changing to claws and ear fins showing. The creature stares at the ceiling, convulsing in the quiet, and he loses a bit of Jack’s form when the pain continues to grow.

 

A whimper manages to escape from his lips and he covers his mouth, muffling the noises. It feels like his whole tail is shrinking, fat and muscles pulsing. Anti tosses himself left and right, curling on the cold wooden floor and wishing this to be over soon. It hurts, it hurts. His mind is foggy and arms are heavy, and he lets out a choked groan. Anti hears shuffling and his heart hurts against his ribcage. The creature tries crawling away, towards the door, sinking his claws on the wood to push himself. There’s a gasp and he curses in his mind, knowing Jack has woken up. Fuck. _Fuck_. This was a terrible idea.

 

He flinches when he feels a hand on his shoulders and everything it’s blurry. Jack’s voice is muffled and he’s shouting something at Anti. He sounds angry but also worried, desperate. The siren covers his face and pushes Jack away when he tries picking him up. The creature groans and wails in pain. There are more footsteps and heavy bangs on the door that makes Anti more panicked and he screams. Jack puts his arms down to cup the siren’s face, saying something he can’t understand. The green-haired man shakes his head weakly and whimpers. He sighs, the corners of his vision turning black, and he passes out from excruciating pain.

 

 

 ⤕

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [buy me a coffee?](https://ko-fi.com/sparklepines)  
> [playlist](https://open.spotify.com/user/marvelsoo/playlist/4CjGbaG0xX430VYt10lnwU?si=lCKVdqT4TWq9t2ofI-q6qg) (updating)  
> [storyboard](https://pinterest.com/sparklepines/drown-me-in-your-arms/) (updating)  
> [my tumblr](http://sparklepines.tumblr.com/)  
> 


	2. Chapter 2

Anti groans and knits his eyebrows, feeling like he’s lying on a cloud. His fingers twitch and he pats the place he’s in, soft fabric brushing against his skin. The creature sighs and slowly opens his eyes, realizing he’s lying in the captain’s bed. He drags a hand over his face, groaning again, and he spots someone by the door. Anti sees a younger boy with large eyes and pale skin, looking like he’s been caught staring. The creature scowls and immediately sits up to hiss at the human, scaring him away. When he’s finally alone, the siren frowns and looks down at the covers.

 

There’s an unfamiliar shape underneath and he swallows, pushing the covers away only to see legs instead of a tail. Anti gasps and he scrunches up his face, finding it odd. The creature’s completely naked and he tilts his head, seeing his penis and his toes. It’s been so long since he tried this. Anti doesn’t even think twice before moving out of the bed, only to fall on the floor on his butt. He winces and the muscles of his legs are stiff, difficult to move. Fucking great. Anti tries pushing himself up from the ground but he falls once more like an idiot, and he hates it. He groans and glares at his legs, twitching his toes.

 

“You need to stop scaring me,” Jack’s voice reaches his ears and he looks up to see the man standing near the door. The human still looks tired but his piercing blue eyes continue to shine. “What the hell were you thinking?” Anti hisses at him. “In English, will you?!”

 

“Out!” the creature groans. “I wanted _out_.”

 

Jack opens his mouth to argue but then notices Anti’s naked state, eyes looking down at his body. The brown-haired man flushes and runs towards a drawer, picking a bunch of fabrics and throwing them at the siren. Jack tells him to put some clothes on and he looks away, hands on his waist. Anti scowls and refuses the boy’s wish, only wanting to move. The captain groans and turns to him, walking closer to grab the clothes and try putting them on the creature. Anti growls and bats his hands away, not wanting to wear these damn things. They argue for a good minute, holding their wrists to stop themselves, until Jack exasperatedly huffs. He asks if he can at least put the creature in bed again and Anti nods.

 

The human picks him up with a surprising amount of strength and the siren purses his lips once he’s resting his back against the wooden frame. The captain pulls the sheets to cover Anti up his waist, sighing heavily and pinching the bridge of his nose. They exchange a look and the siren tilts his head a little bit, just now noticing the red long coat. He likes the blue one more. Jack points down at his legs and opens his mouth to speak.

 

“You… How…” he says and then shakes his head. “You wanted to _walk_ away, huh?” Anti gives him a short nod, not quite having a choice or way to hide. “You were screaming. It probably hurt like _hell_. Are you alright?”

 

Anti knits his eyebrows and he’s taken back by the boy’s concern. He looks at the human for a moment, scanning his face. The creature’s legs are tense but it’ll be better after a while, he just needs to get used to them. “Alright,” Anti mumbles and Jack snorts, sitting on the edge of the bed.

 

“I…” the boy sighs and his shoulders fall. “I don’t like the idea of selling you, okay? Doesn’t feel right. But I need you to convince me that you will do no harm and just go. My men will trust my word if I truly believe in you. They are worried about me and it’s quite hilarious, really.”

 

“No one,” Anti murmurs, looking down. Jack doesn’t understand what he means so he continues. “There’s no one that I could call for. I wander alone.”

 

“Oh,” the human whispers. “I thought sirens were always together.” The creature purses his lips, knowing that this is true. He’s been wandering by himself for a long time now, after he got the horrible scar on his throat. It’s better this way. Jack hums. “I suppose you’re not like the others sirens.”

 

“No.”

 

The brown-haired man scratches the back of his head and Anti tries stretching his legs, feeling his knees pop and toes curl. The siren pulls one of his legs up, bending his knee and seeing how it feels. He frowns and stretches a little bit while the human just stares at him, silence falling between them. Anti doesn’t feel bothered by his presence and his gaze, only minding his own business. The green-haired man recalls that Jack has to trust him somehow and he hums, scanning the room. He gasps, spotting the shining object from before and he points at it.

 

“I want _that_ ,” Anti says and the human turns around to seek what he’s speaking of. “Give me that and I’ll leave you alone.”

 

Jack stands up and walks towards his desk, taking it in his hands. He knits his eyebrows and shows it at the creature. “This? My compass?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“No. I need this. It’ll be useless to you,” Jack says. “Pick something else.”

 

“I want it,” the siren groans. “Or I’ll have _you_ instead.”

 

They exchange a look and the captain breaks the eye contact, huffing and walking back to bed. He stares at the compass for a long time, pursing his lips before finally extending his hand and Anti takes it, liking the way it shines whenever he moves it around. The silver scrollwork feels funny against his skin and he traces the four long spikes that are connected in the middle. It looks like a star to him and it’s beautiful, delicate. Like the human. Anti beams, speckles on his cheeks and shoulders glowing a faint green. Jack watches him for a moment and the creature’s too enthralled by the object, paying him no mind. The brown-haired man clears his throat.

 

“Is that it?” he asks. “If I let you go, will you leave us alone?” Anti sighs and finally looks up at him, curling his fingers around the silver object. He gives him a short nod, craving the sea when the boy mentions that. Jack knits his eyebrows. “But… it’s just a compass. You wanted to _eat_ me. Is that enough?”

 

The siren sends him a mischievous smile and the human flushes, but says nothing. “Enough,” Anti agrees.

 

Jack’s lips part in deep thought and whatever he sees on the creature’s face, it seems to be good enough for him not to argue and accept it. The captain nods and murmurs something about calling his men and that Anti should try walking before leaving the room. The siren watches him go and he looks down at his legs. The green-haired man slowly gets up and supports himself on the wall. His knees are weak and he almost falls twice, but he keeps trying. Anti huffs and walks unsteadily, yet finding it fascinating to look at everything from a different point of view. The ship creaks and he can hear the waves of the sea, singing for him. Anti’s throat itches and he opens his mouth, letting no sound come out.

 

He doesn’t put on any clothes that Jack gave him before, not wanting anything against his skin, and the siren opens the door without hesitation. Anti sees quite a few humans turning around to look at him in alarm and Jack’s there, caught in the middle of a discussion. Everyone gasps and steps back, looking at the creature’s naked state. Anti frowns and he’s not embarrassed at all, only curious. He spots that younger boy behind Jack and that chubbier man who suggested killing the creature. Anti bares his teeth at him and Jack drags a hand over his face.

 

“He’s fuckin-” the chubbier man stutters. “Jack!”

 

“I know,” the captain murmurs.

 

Anti holds the compass close and he looks to the side, seeing the sea. He walks to the edge of the ship, leaning against it and looking ahead. The salty air fills his lungs and the breeze hits his face, green hair curling above his forehead. Everyone is quiet, staring at the siren, and Jack’s the one who approaches him. He touches Anti’s left arm and the creature looks at him, asking if he can go. The captain purses his lips and the siren growls softly under his breath, wanting Jack to speak what’s in his mind.

 

“They want something from you,” he whispers. “To prove we saw you and survived.”

 

“You should be grateful I’ve been patient.” Anti glares and then hisses at the men, “Be grateful that I’m not slicing your throats.”

 

“Anti.”

 

The siren perks up at his name, somehow liking how it sounds on the boy’s lips. It makes his anger fade away and he wonders if that’s how it feels to be under a spell. Anti blinks and his body relaxes, paying the men no mind and just focusing on the brown-haired man. The creature smiles beautifully, winking at the human. Jack frowns and Anti jumps off of the deck in a quick movement, water splashing. He comes back to the surface with a sigh and shakes his wet hair, looking up to see all of the men leaning down to look at the siren. They are worried and angry. Anti doesn’t leave right away, however, and he holds onto the wooden ship. The siren waits and he gasps, feeling his body changing again. He stops moving his legs below and his skin breaks, gills appearing and eyes turning pitch black. Anti groans, muscles spasming, but the pain is more bearable this time.

 

When his scales show and his tail begins to form, the siren yanks one out close to his hip with a grunt. Despite being of a dark green shade, in this sunlight, it reflects a rainbow of colors. Anti winces and climbs up the ship one last time, extending his talons towards Jack. The man with the blue eyes gasps and looks at Anti, as if he’s not sure of what to do. The creature urges Jack to open his hand and he places the scale there, wrapping the human’s fingers around it. They lock their gaze and Anti grins, using just a bit of his spell to keep him there. He leans forward to peck the boy’s soft cheek and then he falls back to the ocean, tail disappearing into the darkness.

 

⤕

 

Anti’s resting against a large rock, staring up at the sea, tail lazily swishing. He fidgets with the compass in his hands and fishes swim around him every now and then. The reef next to him is gorgeous and full of colors, and the creature hums. Anti’s third eyelids flicker when he blinks and his gills open and close with his breathing. The sea is calm and it wraps the siren like a blanket. However, the creature feels dull and he touches the scrollwork on his webbed fingers. There’s a light scar on his right arm due to the spear, bandage long gone. Jack’s piercing blue eyes come to his mind and he sighs, somehow longing for something he can’t quite understand. He was struck by the human’s beauty and how he acted towards the creature, wanting to be brave despite the fear. Anti kept his form, wanting to have a piece of the boy in a way, and he touches his lips.

 

The siren can’t feel the light kiss anymore, but he has his memory nonetheless. He smirks, liking to play with Jack’s emotions. The faces he made in confusion were amusing for the creature. He wishes to see more of it. It’s been a week since he last saw their ship and Anti wonders where they are right now. Jack mentioned that they were headed to land and the pointy thing inside the compass was hovering on the letters N.W. The siren also found out that there are more of those on the bottom of it, the initials S.W.M. marking the silver compass. Anti stares at it and purses his lips.

 

He moves it until it’s pointing at those two letters and he wonders if he should follow it. The creature’s been lurking in the waters in silence, bored and alone. Anti scowls and wags his tail, sand rising and fishes turning around. He swims away from the reef and goes in a new direction. He keeps checking the sea around him, seeking for a particular ship while he swims. Anti’s sure that this is silly and reckless on his part. Trying to go back, to humans that captured him and could have done horrible things, is certainly a mad idea. The siren recalls touching the boy’s face, looking at him up close. Jack thought he was under Anti’s spell. He was captivating. It’s dangerous for a siren, to have something like that. He huffs and continues to swim, sun falling and moon rising.

 

Seaweed brushes against him and he dances away, feeling tired after looking for so long. He doesn’t sleep, however, not wanting to lose time in case the human is already in a new direction. Another day seems to pass and Anti’s holding the compass close to his chest, finally seeing land in the distance. He peeks from above, taking deep breaths and feeling the air hit his face. There are a few ships docked far away and he gasps, diving again to go there. The sun’s setting but the siren still has to be careful not to be spotted and he keeps his distance from the shore. Anti’s eyes find a ship with a woman statute on the front, holding a lantern to guide her sailors, and the creature knows he has found what he wanted. There are voices in the ship and the anchor is down in the sand.

 

Anti waits for the night to fall before climbing to the surface of the ship and he falls with a thud, panting and digging his claws on the compass. There’s no noise, except from him. The creature groans and squirms on the deck after a moment, changing once more. He grinds his teeth and he goes through the pain, scratching his claws on the wooden floor and breathing hard. Anti fights himself, not wanting to pass out when his vision goes black for a second and he shifts. He chokes and drags himself towards the captain’s door, shakily standing up and opening it.

 

There’s no one there but the green-haired man breathes in Jack’s scent before his legs give out. Anti’s vision swims and he shakes his head, exhausted and sore. The creature crawls to the human’s bed, leaving the door open, and he pushes himself up just enough to crash on the mattress. He sighs and curls into a ball, not caring that he’s soaking the sheets. Anti doesn’t let go of the silver compass and his chest moves quickly up and down. The siren finally relaxes, finding comfort in this sweet scent, and he buries his face into the pillow, closing his eyes.

 

There’s a loud noise that wakes him up in a fright and Anti raises his head with a gasp, groggy from sleep. He blinks hard and his hair is curly again, meaning time has passed enough for him to dry. Anti finds Jack by the door with large eyes and mouth ajar, and there’s shattered glass on the floor that the siren can only assume it was a bottle he was drinking from. The human grabs his hair and sucks in air, chest moving up and down too fast. Anti sits up and rubs his eyes, yawning while the boy freaks out. Jack makes a weird choking sound and the creature sees that he’s trembling, breathing breaking in gasps.

 

Anti frowns and the human shakes his head, mumbling incoherent words. He backs away and falls on the floor, failing to breathe. The siren perks up at the desperate sounds and he doesn’t understand what is going on, but the human looks panicked and scared. Anti grumbles and leaves the bed, walking on all fours until he’s right in front of the boy. Jack’s gasping madly and the green-haired man whimpers, not liking this. The creature places himself between Jack’s legs and bumps his nose on his cheek, clicking noises leaving his mouth. Anti buries his face in the crook of the boy’s neck and he breathes in a sweet scent. There are more high pitched noises from the siren and he wraps his arms around the human. Jack’s hands are in the air and he’s frozen in place, trying to breathe.

 

Anti rubs his cheek against the human’s, soothing him. Jack sucks in air once more and then exhales deeply, hands coming to rest on the creature’s sides. It’s quiet for a full minute and the siren waits, checking if he’s okay. The brown-haired man finally looks up at him and Anti beams, content to see those blue eyes again.

 

“How did y-” Jack whispers. “W-What are you doing here? How?!” The siren looks back at the compass and then at the human, seeing his confused expression. “B-But… why?! I t-thought we had a deal.”

 

“You,” the creature murmurs.

 

“Me?” the boy knits his eyebrows. “Am I still under your spell? Did you come back to end me? Is that it?”

 

“No,” Anti huffs and glares, feeling offended that Jack immediately thought about that. “I wanted to see you.”

 

The captain drags a hand over his face and mumbles something about getting into trouble. Anti tilts his head and watches him. Jack’s fingers brush on his skin and the creature gasps, feeling goosebumps. The brown-haired man removes his hands like he’s been burned and he stands up in one quick motion, taking something out of a drawer and throwing it at Anti like he did before. The siren scrunches up his nose but doesn’t deny the black pants Jack gives him, taking that as a good sign from the human. Jack paces around the bedroom and watches Anti fumble awkwardly with the garment. The green-haired man doesn’t like the feeling of the fabric against his skin but he says nothing, slowly getting up and resting a hand on the wall. At least the pants are loose, ankles showing a little because they’re too short on him.

 

It’s the first time he looks at the human like this and Jack complains that Anti is taller than him. The siren stares, curious and content to hear his voice. The captain groans and picks up the shattered glass from the floor, looking distraught. Anti growls under his breath and tells the boy that he means no harm. Not to him, at least. Jack shakes his head, baffled by the creature. Once he’s done cleaning the mess he made, the man with the blue eyes walks up to him and Anti can’t help but glow a little when Jack scans him up and down. The human raises a hand to touch the freckles on his cheek, shining even more, and they are both fascinated with each other.

 

“I…” Jack mutters and puts his hand down. “I don’t understand… Why would you do this?”

 

“I don’t know.”

 

“If it was someone else, you would be dead.”

 

“I could say the same thing to you,” Anti whispers.

 

Jack purses his lips and then sighs. The creature leans in a little closer, wanting to get more of his scent, and the human snorts. The brown-haired man asks if Anti will just be stuck with him now and the siren doesn’t know what to answer. Anti didn’t think about that at all. He belongs to the sea and the sea alone. But he couldn’t help but to feel drawn to the boy and he just wanted to try being near. The creature tells him that and Jack seems to think for a bit, batting long eyelashes against porcelain skin. Jack says that this is insane and he can’t have this happen. The siren promises to behave and even help, trying to convince the human to be closer. They exchange a look and Anti touches Jack’s beard. The human bats his hand away, making the siren growl, and it’s quiet again. The captain murmurs that he’ll have to talk to his crew and perhaps he can stay with them for a while, since it’s the siren’s wish. Anti’s content with the human’s words and he asks about his scale.

 

“Oh,” Jack says and fumbles with his coat, taking a small piece of fabric from it. He unrolls the cloth to show the scale there, glimpsing when he offers it back. “I keep it in my pocket. I didn’t know what to do with it. Didn’t feel right to sell it. I guess I’m a terrible pirate.”

 

“You protected it,” Anti replies, glowing more. “Keep it. It’s yours.”

 

The brown-haired man hesitates for a second but then wraps it again, placing it in his pocket. The siren hums and Jack takes a deep breath. He’s about to say something but their moment is broken when they hear someone calling for Jack. The captain groans and tells Anti to stay there before opening the door. The siren grumbles but waits, listening to muffled voices. He tilts his head, recognizing one that belongs to that chubbier man, and he scowls. Anti doesn’t like the thought of Jack being there with him so the siren walks very slowly towards the door so he won’t fall. He opens it, glaring when he sees the man under the early sun, and Jack throws his arms in the air.

 

“I asked you for _one_ thing, Anti!” the boy huffs.

 

“Are you serious?” The other man points at the creature. “I told you that you were still under its spell! You kept looking at that goddamn scale over and over. You’re not thinking right.”

 

“Call me _it_ again. I dare you,” Anti growls, stepping forward, but Jack puts a hand on his chest to stop him. The siren grunts and stays next to the human, glaring.

 

“Robin,” the captain sighs. “Anti’s not doing anything. He simply wants to stay with us for awhile, nothing more.”

 

“He tried to _kill_ you!” Robin frowns. “Twice!”

 

“Well-”

 

The creature turns his face towards the city and he sees more people coming closer to the ship. He can only assume that they’re Jack’s men and he takes a step back, growling under his breath. Jack sees them on the dock and he looks distressed, tugging on his long coat and clearing his throat. Anti’s hyperfocused of everyone that’s gathering in front of them, wide eyes staring at the siren. Jack raises his arms and tells them to calm down, to listen to their captain. The green-haired man hisses at the men, baring his teeth and claws beginning to show. He wants to scare them away but the boy won’t like that all, so he feels confused.

 

Jack looks at him and then sighs, knitting his eyebrows. The next time he talks, his voice is dead serious and stronger than before, clearly using his status to overcome his men’s doubt. Anti smirks, liking this side of the boy. Everyone shuts their mouth and listens to the captain speaking, more weight in his tone of voice. Robin crosses his arms but says no more, having no choice but to trust Jack. However, the brown-haired man says that if the siren does something to threaten their lives in any way, they will cast him away. Meanwhile, they can learn about the creature and have his guidance at sea. Anti says nothing but if they’ll study him, the green-haired man will do the same in return. They’re still uneasy and no one wants to be near Anti. Jack seems less nervous, though, and the siren goes back to the room when they return to their task.

 

He hears Jack giving them orders, yelling about the sails and anchor, and Anti crawls back to bed. He scowls and touches his legs, feeling them still sore. The creature picks up the compass he left there and plays with it in his hands, leaning on the bed frame like he just belongs there. Jack walks in after a while, huffing and shaking his head when he sees the creature. He throws something towards Anti and tells him to put it on. The siren hisses and sees he’s holding a fading white shirt. He frowns and the human sighs, walking over to help him get dressed. Anti grimaces once they’re done and he looks at the baggy long sleeves, collar bones peeking from the loose collar. Jack hums, satisfied, and the creature looks at his rings.

 

He holds the man’s right wrist and stares at the silver jewelry, pupils widening. Jack snorts and mumbles something about the siren liking shining things way too much. Anti looks up at his face, sapphire meeting emerald, and he grins. The captain pulls his hand away and goes to his desk, looking down at an old map. Anti watches him in silence and he feels the ship swaying in the sea. He lies down more and closes his eyes, melting into the mattress. It’s so much better than a rock, that he can’t deny. It smells like the human too and Anti’s just bathing in his scent, intoxicated by it. The siren practically purrs, staring at the ceiling through half-lidded eyes. He still feels the waves on his body, sending him to a drowsy state.

 

“Anti?” the boy’s voice faintly comes to him but he doesn’t have the strength to speak. “Anti.” The siren sees Jack suddenly next to him, looking down at the creature and snapping his fingers. Anti grunts and blinks, staring at the human in awe. He hums, letting the boy know he’s listening. “Is this really all you want? To be near me?” The siren nods and the brown-haired man knits his eyebrows. “Do I have your word that you won’t try anything with me? No spells. Nothing.”

 

The creature’s lips part in deep thought and it takes him a moment to reply. “Yes,” he whispers. “My word.”

 

They exchange a look and Jack murmurs something about how troublesome all of this is, but he can’t deny that he’s curious as well. The human doesn’t understand why he trusts Anti like this, so soon. The siren doesn’t know either. It’s strange. Foreign. It’s been a long time since the creature had any sort of contact with another being, let alone humans. He likes how Jack stares at him, a light frown on his face. The boy tentatively raises a hand to touch Anti’s beard, just like the siren did with him before, and he purrs. The human huffs and says that it’s a bit weird to see himself, in a way. Anti doesn’t mind that and Jack should be flattered that a siren chose him to lure men. The green-haired man makes sure to tell him that, speaking of his beauty and how captivating it can be. The boy gains a shade of red and his hand falls, turning around to continue his duties. Anti’s gaze follows him, knowing he’s being ignored. For now. Anti will make sure to have this human all for himself. That’s the only certainty he has.

 

He stretches his legs and paces around the room for a bit. There’s a full body mirror across the bedroom and Anti goes to it, turning to look at himself. Jack pretends to be busy with notes, but the creature sees his quick glances. His skin is marked by faint scars where his gills were, three white lines on each side of his neck and chest. The green-haired man raises a foot and moves his fingers, staring at his reflection. He touches his thighs and then his ass cheeks, catching the human’s red face in the mirror. Anti goes to him and hovers over his shoulder, wanting to know what he’s doing. Jack stutters some things about counting their supplies and exchanging what they have of currency in the next town. The siren hums, not quite interested in that but wanting to hear the boy anyway. His eyes find a new compass on the desk and he takes it in his hands, feeling the simple golden scrollwork. Anti remembers the initials behind his and asks the human what that means. Jack purses his lips.

 

“It’s my name… Seán William Mcloughlin,” he murmurs and takes the golden compass from Anti’s hands, placing it back on the desk with a sigh. “My father gave that silver compass to me.”

 

The creature leans his head to the side when he hears Jack’s full name and he knits his eyebrows. “Do you want it back? I wouldn’t have taken it if I knew it belonged to your family.”

 

Jack says that it’s fine and that it was a long time ago. Anti says nothing more and the boy doesn’t seem like talking either. The siren grumbles, wanting to touch the human but staying still. The captain leaves to sail, making sure everything is in order, and the creature peeks from the door. He sees some men walking around the ship and Anti walks out to lean on the edge of it, looking down at the sea. A few men notice him but they stay away, looking at him from the corner of their eye. The siren purses his lips and watches the sun set from the surface. It’s weird. To feel the air brush against his skin, green curls hitting his forehead. To breathe and walk. Anti won’t stay like this all the time, however. He will want to swim and, perhaps, even convince the human to come along. The siren turns his face to see Jack on the higher part of the ship, steering it, and their eyes meet. The captain tigthens his hands on the wheel and looks forward, long blue coat moving with the wind. Anti’s about to head over there when someone approaches him and the creature recognizes that young boy that was watching him from before.

 

“Uh,” the dark-haired boy says. “Hi, I’m E-Ethan.” Anti glares and the young man swallows, feeling jittery. “J-Just… Just wanted to say that if the captain will want to learn about sirens… about you, I can add to his notes by, uh… I could draw. I _can_ draw. I could draw you, if… If you’re fine with it, I mean. Yes.”

 

By the stars, this boy is a ball of anxiety. Anti doesn’t like the idea of someone being up close to him so he just ignores the boy, turning around to go to Jack. The captain sighs and sends a look at Ethan, almost as if he’s sorry. Anti huffs and lingers next to the human until the night falls. They all settle down to eat at some point but the creature stays where he is, looking at them from afar. The sky is full of stars and the siren beams, freckles shining just like them. Their lanterns are softly lightning the ship, an orange glow casting over the dark wood, and Jack’s drinking with his men on the main deck. The captain’s sitting on a crate and the men are spread in a circle, chatting and filling their stomachs with food and alcohol. Anti closes his eyes when he feels the cold breeze of the night, resting his elbows on the edge of the ship, and the sea calls for him.

 

The siren itches to sing, skin buzzing, and he can’t help but hum a melody under his breath. There’s no intention to lure any prey, so he just sings for himself. The creature’s mouth opens to sing a little louder, a lyric melody falling easily from his lips. Anti doesn’t notice right away that the chatting fades and, when he does, the siren turns his face to see everyone looking at him. The green-haired man glows even more when his gaze finds Jack’s and the human chugs the drink from the bottle in his hands. Anti stops singing and everything is quiet. He scowls, frustrated that he can’t do anything without humans judging him. The creature walks back to the captain’s quarters, slamming the door shut and curling himself on the human’s bed.

 

Anti must have fallen asleep because he suddenly wakes up with the captain walking in with wobbly legs, empty bottle in one hand. He knits his eyebrows at the human and Jack drags a hand over his face, groaning and awkwardly putting the bottle down. Anti sits up and scrunches up his face when the smell of alcohol hits him. Jack grumbles.

 

“Shit, you're here…” he murmurs, words slurred.

 

“Where would I go?”

 

“Dunno, not… not my bed,” Jack says and it takes him a moment to think of the words, fighting his mind. “I… Jeez, I dunno what to do with you…”

 

The human walks forward, clumsily taking off his coat and falling in bed with a huff. The siren looks down at the drunken sailor and his blue eyes are hazy, pupils wide. The brown-haired man raises a weak hand at the creature, tugging on his green hair and sighing. Anti lets him and it’s quite hilarious to see the captain like this. He smirks and moves Jack’s face, touching his cheeks and holding him by the chin. Jack blinks slowly, mouth ajar and eyes almost closed. The siren snorts.

 

“You drank too much,” he whispers. “I don’t know how you handle that awful smell.”

 

“Stop…” Jack whines and tries knitting his eyebrows, sighing when Anti caresses his hair. “You're doin’ it again…”

 

“No, I’m not.”

 

“I have… I have a freakin’ siren in my bed…”

 

Jack’s eyes fall shut and he doesn’t say anything else, and the siren lets him rest. He watches the human’s chest move up and down with his breathing, and Jack’s body relaxes. Anti lightly caresses his cheek and his heart skips a beat. He frowns, not knowing what to do with these feelings. He purses his lips and he barely sleeps, liking to stare at the human instead. Anti was going to drown Jack in that stormy night. He was going to end this man’s life. Part of him is content that he didn’t because he can admire such a beautiful sight right now. The creature wonders if this is how it feels to have found a mate. The word _mate_ burns in his mind and he makes a face. Sirens can find compatible partners and become their mates, but that involves courting and Anti never liked any of that. It’s ridiculous. To be bonded with someone for the rest of their lives. The creature huffs to himself and turns to the other side, finally catching some sleep.

 

⤕

 


	3. Chapter 3

In the morning, Jack groans and complains about headaches. He avoids Anti as much as he can and the siren scowls, watching him from a distance. The captain talks to his men and sails, leaving the creature alone and just wandering in the ship. Everyone seems to avoid him too, with the exception of that young boy Ethan. Robin’s talking to Jack on the quarter deck and Anti glares even more. As time passes, the siren starts feeling weak and his mouth is dry. He clears his throat and goes to Ethan, asking for something to eat. The young boy perks up at him, eyes shining, and he nods. Ethan takes him away from the main deck, going downstairs, and he opens a crate with food for him.

 

Anti knits his eyebrows when he holds a small biscuit and the young boy says he can’t give him much right now, only later when it’s time for all of them to share. They’ll have soup with peas and Anti bites on the dry biscuit, grimacing at the taste. Ethan chuckles and apologizes, giving the creature a piece of cheese. That is much better but it still feels weird to eat something like this. Anti refuses the beer and accepts the water, choking when it goes down his throat. Ethan seems amused to see the creature eating and drinking for the first time and Anti huffs. The green-haired man still doesn’t feel good when they go back to the deck and Jack’s nowhere to be seem. His vision swims and he groans, clumsily opening the door to the captain’s quarters.

 

Jack’s sitting in bed and he’s looking at Anti’s scale in his hands with a light frown. The siren knits his eyebrows and the human gasps when seeing the creature, putting the scale back in his pocket. Anti winces and he holds his head, resting his back against the door. Jack asks what is going on and the creature doesn’t have the strength to speak. He just whimpers and his knees go weak, making him fall on the floor. Jack curses out loud and runs to him, shaking Anti’s shoulders. It feels like deja vú and he hates to be so vulnerable in front of someone like this. His mind is foggy and his body feels heavy, and he murmurs something about the sea.

 

Jack gasps, looking at the wooden tub in the end of the room, and he runs to fill it with water. Anti grimaces and he feels sick. The human drags him by the arms, pulling him closer to the tub. He hastily removes Anti’s clothes and lifts him bridal style to place him in the water, and the creature sighs. Anti dips his head down and the skin around his neck breaks, gills opening. The siren makes a face when he realizes that this water is not from the ocean and he straightens himself when his legs start aching. Jack’s staring with worried eyes and for once he doesn’t mind the naked creature. The brown-haired man looks at his tail forming, scales taking place of his skin. Anti lifts it when it doesn’t fit on the tub anymore and the pain fades. He drags a hand over his face and Jack’s eyes fall to his webbed fingers.

 

“I told you to stop scaring me…” he whispers. “Are you alright?”

 

Anti gives him a short nod and he brushes his scales with his hands. “I never stayed in human form for that long. I need to be in my element.”

 

Jack looks at his body in awe and it’s good not to be ignored anymore. The siren rests his head on the back of the tub, feeling drained, and the human apologizes for the normal water. Anti hums, knowing he had to hurry. He won’t be able to be here for too long, however. Jack murmurs something about getting a new one so he can take a bath without having a creature in his, and Anti huffs. The siren playfully suggests that the boy should join him and Jack seems to think for a split second before shaking his head with a snort. The green-haired man continues to pick on his scales, cleaning them, and he feels much better now. Jack murmurs that his long tail is almost twice his size and Anti grins, feeling the boy’s fascination. The siren looks at him and pushes strands of his wet green hair back, thinking about what he will say. Anti’s heart flips inside his ribcage and he clears his throat.

 

“You can touch me… if you want,” he murmurs.

 

Jack’s cheeks gain a shade of red and he whispers _Oh_ when he realizes Anti means he can feel his tail. The human raises a hand and his fingers brush against the creature’s scales. The siren stays still and watches the human’s expression as he goes, finding it endearing. Jack touches him carefully and he chuckles, finding it odd and calling him slimy. He brushes his fingers on Anti’s fins, on his sides, and he moves down to the end of his tail. The green-haired man shivers and lifts it just a bit so Jack can see the barbed stinger, thumb touching the sharp end. The human comes back to him and takes Anti’s hands, looking at his webbed fingers and then at his speckles. The siren closes his eyes, sighing in delight. He loses some of the human’s form, forgetting to focus on it, and his ear fins show. Jack feels the gills on his ribs and neck, knuckles brushing on his sides. He caresses Anti’s cheeks and the creature purrs, leaning into the touch.

 

“You’re glowing,” Jack barely whispers and the siren opens his eyes, now pure darkness, to see the boy up close with brown strands of hair falling to his forehead. They lock their gaze and Jack softly shakes his head, as if he can’t believe what he sees. “You’re beautiful…”

 

Anti touches the boy’s chin, water running down his arm, and he leans forward some more. Jack watches him through half-lidded eyes and his lips part, warm breath hitting his face. Anti purrs louder but, when their noses touch, the human knits his eyebrows and he pulls back. The brown-haired man blinks hard and the siren already knows what he’s thinking. That he’s playing with him, that this is a trick. Anti’s chest oddly hurts and he scowls, seeing the human open his mouth to say something, only to close it. Jack groans and abruptly stands up, walking out of the room without another word and leaving the creature alone.

 

Anti glares at nothing and he catches a glimpse of himself in the mirror, black eyes staring back. The green-haired man hisses and it is not a surprise that humans fear him, such a menacing beast with sharp teeth. The siren scoffs and his eyes turn back to green, ear fins disappearing, and he becomes more human. Less threatening. He wags his tail and stays there, sulking, until there’s no more oxygen in the water. Anti pushes himself up to leave the tub and he huffs when hitting the floor, changing after a moment. He’s getting used to it but it still stings. The creature doesn’t dress up right away and he just goes to lie on the captain’s bed, resting and letting the water drops run down his body.

 

There’s a knock on the door a few hours later and Anti frowns, looking up to see Ethan peeking inside. He flushes and turns his face to the other side when he notices Anti’s naked state and mumbles something about dinner. The creature grumbles but stands up when the boy leaves, dressing up and ruffling his curly hair. He walks out of the captain’s quarters to see everyone on the main deck again, sitting and chatting. Jack’s further away, hidden in the shadows, and Anti scowls. They are less tense tonight and he sits down on top of a crate, near Ethan, and Robin stares at him. He nods at the siren and passes him a bowl with soup. Anti looks at him for a long time, narrowing his eyes, before accepting the food.

 

Ethan brings up the subject of drawing him again and the creature hums, agreeing so he can provoke Jack with the thought of someone else looking at him. They chat and the men murmur songs about loved ones. Anti observes them and he tilts his head when Ethan sings for all of them. The creature tells him he has a good voice and the young boy makes a funny sound, flustered. Jack’s crossing his arms in the back and when their eyes meet, he looks away. It infuriates the siren. When they finish their meals and some return to their previous positions, Jack returns to his quarters. Anti huffs and gathers the courage to go to Robin.

 

“Tell me about Jack,” he says.

 

The pale man sends him a look and raises a hand as if wanting Anti to step back. “You have no idea what personal space is, do you?”

 

“I want to know about him.”

 

“No.”

 

“He’s avoiding me.”

 

“Maybe he changed his mind! Maybe you’re just a inconvenience.” The siren hisses and Robin sighs. “Look… You’re only here because the captain said so, alright? I don’t owe you anything. But if Jack has something on his mind, he’ll let you know.”

 

Anti groans and turns around before he tries something that he will regret. Robin angers him deeply. He opens the captain’s quarters to see Jack sitting down at his desk, hand resting on his cheek. The human doesn’t look at him when Anti closes the door and stays there, next to him. He’s not wearing the long coat, just a shirt that reveals part of his chest and black pants. The siren glares to call his attention but the boy does nothing, just adjusting himself on the chair. Anti growls loud.

 

“What?!” Jack asks.

 

“We had an agreement,” the siren says. “I can be close to you and, in exchange, you can learn about me. About the sea, anything that I may know. But you are hiding from me.”

 

“No, Anti! Our first agreement was that you would go the moment I gave you that bloody compass but you came back anyway!” the human replies and finally looks at him, both of them scowling in frustration. “I’m sorry but, if you haven’t noticed, it’s a bit difficult to deal with a _creature_ that looks like _me_.”

 

“Do you want me to change?”

 

“No!”

 

“Then what do you want from me?!” Anti groans. “You’re confusing me! I haven’t done anything, just like you asked! I left the sea to be closer to you!”

 

“Why?!” Jack shouts and throws his hands in the air. “Why the sudden interest? I’m just a human. I had everything in order before you showed up! Now I have a goddamn creature sleeping in my bed and all you do is play tricks with our minds! If I’m annoying you, then why don’t you jump off this ship and go back to where you came from?!”

 

The siren closes his mouth and takes a step back, surprised by the burst of anger. Jack takes a deep breath and Anti looks down at the floor. There’s that odd feeling in his chest again, as if someone is twisting his heart, and he frowns. He’s not wrong. It is strange that a siren decided to risk their life again, in a silly way to see a human. It’s stupid and he should have known about that. The brown-haired man immediately grimaces at his own words and he stands up, walking towards the creature. Anti walks backwards and shakes his head, opening the door to run. Jack shouts for him to come back and follows him to the main deck, seeing Anti take off his shirt and throw it across the floor.

 

The siren pays him no mind and just leaves the ship, jumping into the ocean. He hastily removes the pants underwater and swims deeper down until he hears another splash. The green-haired creature looks up to see the human in the sea and he can’t fucking believe that Jack jumped after him. Anti groans and stops the boy from going deeper, taking them to the surface. The brown-haired man gasps for air and the siren wraps his tail around him, glaring at the human. Jack awkwardly pushes his hair away from his face and he looks at the creature.

 

“D-Don’t!” Jack stutters while trying to swim, cold waves hitting them. “Don’t leave, p-please! I didn’t mean it, okay? I’m s-sorry I yelled at you.”

 

Anti purses his lips and, when the boy continues to thrash himself in the water, he pulls Jack’s arms to be around his neck for better support. The captain’s shivering from the cold, lips quivering in the middle of the night, and he looks at Anti’s eyes up close. He says that the siren is the most fascinating thing he’s ever come across but it is just difficult to wrap his mind around the idea that he’s near one. Jack doesn’t know what to do, how to act. If he should really trust the siren. Anti listens to him stutter and they cling on each other, tail tightening around the boy’s legs. The green-haired man touches the human’s back, wanting him to be still, and he sighs. Jack says that he doesn’t know how to feel either. That the siren didn’t help by kissing him the night they met and trying to do it again. Anti frowns.

 

“You kissed me back,” he says.

 

“I needed air!” Jack shouts. “It’s d-different! I was drowning!”

 

“Stop being so loud,” the siren murmurs angrily. “You will wake up everyone if you continue to scream.”

 

“Just… Don’t go,” the boy whispers. “I will f-follow our agreement, alright?”

 

Anti growls when Jack shudders again. He untangles his tail from the human and swims towards a ladder on the side of the ship. He urges the human to go before he freezes to death and Jack sends him a worried look. Anti sighs, saying that he will follow, and just then the brown-haired man lets go of him to climb the damn thing. The siren takes a moment, seeing him going back, and he looks back at the sea. Jack looks down at him, clenching his hands on the edge of the ship and pursing his lips. Anti hesitates for a split second but he climbs up as well, falling on the floor. The captain lets out a sigh of relief and helps the creature to the quarters, picking up his shirt and complaining about the lost pants in the sea.

 

Anti grunts and looks up to see Jack removing his own outfit, wet and sticking on his body. The captain’s back is turned to him and the creature stares at it. There are small scars on his skin but what calls more his attention is the sight of a drawing on his back. There’s a jellyfish on his right shoulder with its trailing tentacles falling down to the other side, painting his body with black lines. Anti’s lips part in awe and he stands up, stumbling a bit before walking to him. Jack quickly puts on new pants and he’s about to cover his back when Anti’s fingers brush on the drawing. He freezes and looks at the creature from over his shoulder.

 

“What is this?” Anti whispers and Jack says it’s a tattoo, something that will last forever.

 

They exchange a look and the human scans his face before nodding shortly, giving permission for the siren to touch him just like he did to him. Jack’s cold from the water and he shudders when Anti’s fingers trace the outlines of the little creature on his back. The siren follows the trailing tentacles and the end curls to the other side of his waist beautifully. Anti beams and he finds that enticing. Jack murmurs if he can put on the rest of his clothes now because he’s shivering and the creature drops his hands, letting him be. There’s a light shade of red on the boy’s cheek and he avoids looking at the siren until his back is covered by the shirt, throwing new pants at Anti. The captain mumbles something about taking notes about sirens and their anatomy tomorrow, and the green-haired man sighs before agreeing to it. Jack takes a deep breath when he sees Anti lying down and clenches his hands a couple of times before doing the same.

 

The creature curls himself into a ball and breathes in the human’s scent, thinking about what happened. He could have left this place. He still can. But seeing Jack’s torn expression did something to him. It’s like he can’t resist anything that this human does. Part of Anti thinks this is utterly ridiculous and he should just go, but the other side of him is obsessed with Jack. If he didn’t know him, Anti would think the brown-haired man was a siren himself, casting an odd charm towards the creature. Jack has his back turned to him, almost falling off the bed from the distance he’s created, and the green-haired man scowls. He closes his eyes and buries his face into the pillow, wishing to bring warmth to the human but doing nothing.

 

In the morning, Jack asks him about sirens and, at first, Anti is a little hesitant. However, his interest seems genuine and harmless, only seeking knowledge, and the creature murmurs a few things. He briefly mentions about mates and courting but lets that go through their head, changing the subject. Ethan comes by to sketch him and the siren transforms in the tub, ear fins and webbed fingers showing. Jack purses his lips when Ethan touches his talons but Anti stays still, eyes flickering to black and speckles shining. When the green-haired man locks his eyes with the captain, he glows more on purpose and Ethan raises an eyebrow between them. Jack writes next to the boy’s sketches and Anti feels a bit bored, having to stay in place.

 

He hisses and bares his sharp teeth when the younger man tries to touch his tail, ear fins moving back, and the captain murmurs something about the siren being sensitive about that. Ethan swallows and nods, apologizing. Anti calms down, still scowling, and he rests his arms on the edge of the wooden tub to look at the drawings. He takes the opportunity to ask about the crew and the brown-haired man says they will be arriving at port soon. He hums and watches Jack scribble on his desk.

 

“What was that for?” Ethan whispers at the siren, captain not listening.

 

“What?” Anti frowns and the boy smirks.

 

“You lit up when the captain glanced at you. As if you wanted to look… pretty.”

 

The creature purses his lips and says nothing, ignoring the boy. His ear fins flicker and he sinks more into the tub, water hitting his chin and tail swishing on the floor. Anti is thankful that Ethan finishes the sketches and leaves them be. The creature raises his hand towards Jack when they are alone, asking for the captain to join him again. The brown-haired man sends him a look of disapproval and Anti murmurs that he will accept it one day. Jack playfully says that he won’t unless he’s treated right and the smirk on the siren’s face falls, arm dropping back to the water. Fuck. The word _courting_ appears in his mind and he hates that that’s how everything feels. Ethan’s comment about him trying to look beautiful in front of Jack is like a dagger through his heart and he grimaces, looking down.

 

The captain notices the sudden change of behavior and asks if he said something wrong. Anti shakes his head, not wanting to speak anymore, and the brown-haired man doesn’t press the matter. This can’t be it. It’d be ridiculous. The human would be scared and run away if it is indeed what he thinks it is. The siren clenches his hands, knowing he craves the boy’s touch and beauty. Jack leaves to sail and check on his men, and Anti zones out until he can’t stay in the tub anymore. He changes and walks over the captain’s desk to look at the notes, being careful so water won’t fall and smudge the papers. The green-haired man scowls, reading that the human wrote an observation of the siren being aggressive and dangerous. That he’s possessive and may lash out if provoked. Anti purses his lips and goes to dry himself a bit before getting dressed.

 

He sits on the bed and takes the silver compass in his hands, brushing his thumb on the carved initials on the back. The siren feels like singing, a way to let his emotions out, but he swallows it down. He feels frustrated and confused, wanting something he never had. Anti’s a fool for not noticing that before, that this could be his animal seeking a mate. He should have run away the moment he saw Jack’s piercing blue eyes in that stormy night. The human thinks he’s vicious, a trickster, and Anti finds himself bothered by how he’s seen by the boy. Jack’s enticing, spellbinding, and yet dangerous to him. If other sirens could look at Anti now, they would make fun of him deeply.

 

The green-haired creature hears muffled shouting and he stands up to open the door, finding everyone pointing ahead and seeing land. Anti walks up to the quarter deck and stops by Jack’s side, still holding the silver compass. The captain’s wearing a leather hat this time, feathers moving with the wind, and he smiles at his men. The siren growls under his breath when Robin comes closer to the boy. They exchange a look, glaring at each other, and Jack doesn’t seem to notice. The brown-haired man yells about sails and the anchor when they are ready to dock, and the creature watches all of them work. Jack looks at him and raises an eyebrow.

 

“It looks like you sucked on a lemon,” he says.

 

“What does that mean?” Anti murmurs.

 

“You’re always frowning.”

 

The creature grunts and Jack sighs, asking if he will be alright in the city. Anti takes a long time to answer, thinking about it. He will be on actual land, away from the sea for a few days, and the siren is certainly worried. There’s a thin line of anxiety that reaches down to his stomach but he doesn’t let it show, only shaking his head and saying he will be fine. Jack hums.

 

“Promise me you won’t eat someone,” the boy whispers, half-joking, but then sends him a serious look. “I’ll keep an eye on you. I’ll have to trust you. If you try something, I will do anything in my power to stop you. Understood?”

 

The siren makes a face, pretending to be disappointed that he won’t be killing anyone, and Jack snorts.

 

“Alright, lads!’ the captain shouts at his men with a grin, taking off his hat to bow briefly. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!”

 

“Did you hear that, boys? We can do everything!” Ethan yells in the back and everyone cheers.

 

Jack rolls his eyes but shrugs, letting them be. Anti sees them leave the ship and some of them carry crates to sell whatever’s inside. The captain exchanges a few words with Robin, saying what they need supplies and to stock some more food. Mostly, Jack just wants them to have some free time and have fun. Robin tells them not to do anything stupid and that he will be at the tavern. The brown-haired man takes a look at the siren when they’re alone, pursing his lips before bringing him to his quarters, murmuring something about giving him something appropriate to wear in public.

 

Anti scowls when he puts on some boots and he doesn’t like wearing them, toes feeling weird. Jack tells him to put his arms up and he dresses the creature in a black vest, over the white shirt, tying the black strings on his chest. The boy leaves his hat over on his desk, ruffling his hair, and he says there’s no need to take the silver compass but the creature wants to carry it in his pocket anyway. The green-haired man stares at the captain’s back when they are heading out and he takes a deep breath. Jack looks back at him from over his shoulder, green coat moving with the breeze, waiting. Anti takes a step forward and follows the human, staying by his side. He looks around with wide eyes, taking it all in, and people wander through the streets unaware that there’s a siren among them.

 

He grimaces when he’s hit by a wave of different scents, scoffing and shaking his head. Jack walks calmly and says that they’ve been here before, that this is a good place. Anti gasps when someone bumps into his shoulder and he hisses, teeth turning a bit sharp. The captain covers his mouth to shut him up and apologizes, moving him away. The creature groans, muffled by the boy’s hand, and Jack glares at him. He tells Anti not to do that again or they will get into trouble, that he needs to stay quiet. The siren grunts but nods, shoving Jack when he drops his hands. The brown-haired man rolls his eyes and continues to go forward, until they see a small fair. Anti hears giggles from children running across the place and he tilts his head, watching them. The human greets some sellers and look at what they have, and the siren’s eyes follow the shining objects. An old lady has earrings and rings in her small tent, and Jack huffs when he sees Anti so excited.

 

“Pick something,” he says.

 

The creature frowns but the boy encourages him to choose one of them, so Anti takes a closer look. He remembers seeing some of Jack’s men with gold earrings and he liked that. There’s a small silver one in the shape of a circle and another that is longer, with a round blue stone in the end of it that reminds him of the boy’s sapphire eyes. Anti points at them and the captain hums, asking the old lady how much it costs. The siren watches Jack give her shining coins and he takes the earrings in his hands. The brown-haired man tells Anti to keep them in his pocket and that he can put them on the siren later. The creature is content to have something like that but his heart does something funny knowing Jack got them for him.

 

They walk some more and Anti sees a child running closer to him, bumping into other people, and he hears them yelling and laughing again. The siren stops to look at them, fascinated. But, when he turns around, Jack’s not in front of him anymore. Anti freezes and his wide eyes scan for the boy, finding nothing. Some people brush against him while walking and the creature’s breathing picks up, not knowing what to do. He knits his eyebrows and the crowd is too loud for his ears. It’s too much. His heart races and he tries pacing a couple of times, but the noises confuse him. Anti groans and he starts panicking, wondering if the captain wanted to do that on purpose and leave the siren behind. He shouldn’t have left the sea. He shouldn’t have. No. Shut the fuck up. The green-haired man shakes his head and some humans look at him funny. Anti closes his eyes and covers his ears, breathing too fast. He never felt this before. It hurts. His chest hurts.

 

“Jack!” he shouts the boy’s name, not daring to look around anymore because it makes him nervous. “Jack!”

 

The siren flinches when there’s a hand on his shoulder and he opens his eyes to see Jack looking scared, saying something he can’t understand. Anti whimpers and everything is _too_ loud. The captain pulls him away from the fair and the siren walks unsteadily, knees bending and almost making him fall. The boy brings him to an empty alley and Anti all but drops to the ground, back resting against a wall. He pulls his legs up and takes harsh breaths, hating that he’s trembling. Jack kneels down to be in front of him and he cups the creature’s face, telling him to calm down. The green-haired man chokes and he doesn’t know what this is, heart palpitating against his ribcage. Anti curls his fingers on Jack’s collar and brings him close, burying his face in the crook of his neck. That unique and sweet scent fills his lungs, and he whimpers again.

 

“You’re fine, everything is okay,” the human says and Anti breathes, groaning. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have left.” The creature makes a clicking noise when Jack touches his hair just for a split second before pulling away. “But one moment you were there, and then you weren’t. You have to pay attention. Are you alright?”

 

The creature sighs, beginning to feel better and calmer, but he is embarrassed that Jack saw him like this. Everything is slow now and he feels heavy. When he asks what just happened to him, the human says it was an anxiety attack. Anti frowns and recalls that the boy acted like that when he saw the siren in his bed, for the first time. Jack tried to comfort him the same way he did. He looks at the human’s blue eyes and purses his lips. They stand up and the siren huffs when the boy murmurs about him being like a kid. Jack takes them away from the alley and they go to the tavern, hoping it will be better and less crowded for the creature. Anti holds back the urge to tug on the human’s sleeve and just sticks to his side, glaring at everything.

 

They find Robin sitting at a round table, drinking beer, and his plate is empty already. Jack whistles at the lady behind the counter and smiles, bowing before sitting next to his friend. Anti holds back a growl when the lady returns the gesture and offers food. The human was right, however. There aren’t many people in here, despite the smell of alcohol being too strong. He huffs and refuses the drink when Jack shows him his. When the lady comes back with their food, the siren beams and the captain tugs on his ear to make him stop before someone sees it. There’s a piece of meat on his plate that looks delicious, nothing compared to what they have in the ship, and Anti all but takes a bite with his bare hands. The men at the table look horrified as the siren takes chunks of it, smearing his hands and mouth. It tastes amazing and the creature has never eaten it cooked before. The piece is still red in the middle, its juice streaming down his chin, and he sighs in pleasure. Jack tells him to slow down, putting his hand on the siren’s arm to make him stop. Anti holds back a hiss and swallows, dragging the palm of his hand over his lips. Robin whistles to himself and calls the lady again to ask for another steak, underdone.

 

Anti ignores the rest of the food on his plate, letting Jack eat the bread and potato from his. The brown-haired man gives him a fork and knife, showing how he’s supposed to eat. The siren scowls, thinking that’s stupid but trying. He takes big pieces anyway, chewing more slowly this time, and he almost moans. Jack sends him a funny look, cleaning Anti’s hands and mouth once he’s done. Robin shakes his head, saying the captain is spoiling the creature. The brown-haired man freezes and he lets go of Anti, going for a long sip from his drink. The siren licks his lips and he feels satisfied, warm and full. He rubs his left eye in a sleepy manner and Jack calls him a kid again. He grumbles, not having the strength to be angry right now. The captain murmurs something to Robin about him staying on the ship, but the others can rent rooms if they wish. Anti can’t be away from water for too long, he will need to change before feeling sick again.

 

When they go back to the ship, the siren purses his lips at the sight of the tub. It’s not comfortable to be there all the time and he can hear the sea calling louder this time. The captain is in the process of filling the tub with sweet water when Anti stops him, wanting to go to the ocean. Jack stares at him and there’s anxiety coming from him when the creature takes off his vest and boots. Anti removes the rest of his clothes and places them on the bed, leaving the earrings over on the desk before walking out to the main deck, completely exposed. The green-haired man makes a motion to jump but Jack grabs his arm, scanning his face. He knits his eyebrows, as if he’s unsure of what to say. Anti growls under his breath and steps closer to the boy, noses almost touching.

 

“I won’t leave,” he whispers. “I’ll stay close. You can wait if you want.”

 

“Okay,” Jack sighs but lets go of Anti’s arm, nodding. “Okay, I trust you.”

 

The siren grins, turning around, and he jumps into the water.

 

 

⤕

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is Jack's [jellyfish tattoo](https://tattoo-ideas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Jellyfish-Tattoo.jpg) btw! ♥  
> 

Anti swims under the ship, going down and sighing when he reaches the depth of the sea. He breathes through his gills and he finds comfort there, surrounded by fishes and seaweed. His tail moves gracefully, dark green scales shining, and he lies down on the sand. The creature stays there, thinking about the boy. For a brief moment, he wonders if Jack knows what he’s doing. The human got him gifts, comforted him, fed him. In the eyes of other sirens, that would look like courting. Anti knits his eyebrows and thinks that the boy wouldn’t do that, no. That can’t be it. He’s more likely just trying to please the creature so he won’t kill anyone. Soothing him this way. The siren huffs and turns over to the other side, arm behind his head. Anti closes his eyes and he dozes off, frown finally leaving his face even if just for a little bit.

 

When Anti wakes up, he grunts and stretches himself. He gasps, not knowing how long it has been, so he swims back to the surface as fast as he can. The water breaks for him and the sun is setting. He curses out loud and looks at the ship, calling for Jack. The siren climbs up the ship just enough to see the main deck and he calls for the boy again, only to find no one there. He knits his eyebrows and falls back into the water, circling the damn thing. There’s a beach next to the dock so he dives to swim towards it, hoping to see someone. Anti approaches the shore and his eyes find Jack sitting on the sand far away, with a bottle in his hands. The creature raises his arm, waving, and the human looks up to see him. Jack tentatively waves back, slowly getting up and walking towards the siren. He’s barefoot, not wearing the long coat. The end of his pants are rolled up, and his brown hair moves with the wind. From here, no one can see Anti’s tail and he keeps it low, as if he’s just enjoying the sea. Jack stops still a bit far, not getting in the water.

 

“Hi,” he says, voice a little louder and carried by the wind.

 

“I fell asleep,” Anti replies. “I didn’t mean to.”

 

Jack smiles and brushes it off, taking another sip from the bottle. The siren tells him to stop drinking and the captain rolls his eyes, but puts that awful thing down on the sand. Anti stares at him for a long time, batting his long eyelashes against freckled skin. He raises his hand again, towards Jack. A silent request. The brown-haired man purses his lips and takes a step back, but doesn’t move any further. They exchange a look and Anti does his best to show that he means no harm. He doesn’t want Jack to keep thinking that of him. That’s not what he wants. The siren pleads with his eyes and the human sighs, taking off his shirt and placing it under the bottle. Anti’s tail wags excitedly and Jack paces forward, getting into the sea. He shudders and swims to be in front of the creature.

 

“Hi,” he says again.

 

“Hi…” the siren whispers back and raises an eyebrow. “Did I finally convince you to join me?”

 

“Mm, that’s difficult to answer…” Jack murmurs playfully. “You still gotta entertain me, so…”

 

Anti smirks and tells the boy to follow him further into the ocean, away from the shore. He dives to swim faster and the brown-haired man stays above, legs and arms batting in the water. When he’s sure that they’re far from people and that they’re hidden behind the ship, he gains speed and swims to the surface. Anti jumps to make an arc in the air, spinning before going back and showing up behind the boy. Jack gasps and chuckles, shoving the siren away. He splashes water on the captain’s face with his tail and he snorts when the boy swears at him. Anti feels a pull on his heart, a desire that grows there and makes him confused. He wants Jack to dive with him. He feels like they should. The siren moves to be right in front of him, chests touching, and Jack complains about personal space. Anti’s hands come to wrap around the boy’s wrists, pulling them so the human will understand what he means.

 

“Anti,” he warns the creature.

 

“Please,” Anti barely whispers, knitting his eyebrows and bumping his nose on Jack’s cheek. “I won’t do anything. I’ll be careful.”

 

The brown-haired man sighs and nods, giving in and taking a deep breath. Anti’s tail wraps around the boy and he pulls them down. Anti swims and swims, keeping Jack in his arms and looking at him in awe. The human holds himself on the creature’s shoulders and the siren glows. Jack touches his cheek, admiring Anti while small bubbles of air leave his nose. The green-haired creature radiates and he untangles himself from Jack when they are far down. He circles around the human, swimming while still looking at him and loving that his tattoo looks like it’s moving. The brown-haired man wants to chuckle but he covers his mouth, floating mid-water. Anti dances in his land, spinning and showing off his fins. He lets out fast clicking sounds, gills opening and closing, and Jack brushes his fingers on Anti’s tail when he swims closer. He turns the boy around as if he’s dancing as well and, this time, the human opens his mouth to laugh but it’s muffled and bubbles come out. Anti huffs and sends him a look. They lock their gaze and the siren slowly sways them around, hair flowing. Jack looks up and the creature takes him to the surface so he can breathe.

 

Jack gasps, choking a bit and filling his lungs with air. However, he laughs, and Anti’s ear fins perk up at that sound. The creature beams and he doesn’t let go of Jack, heart skipping a beat. The sun has set and the night is kissing the sky, stars twinkling above. He asks if they can do it just one more time and the captain gives in, letting himself be pulled by the siren. Anti smiles and makes a spiral when they go down, burying his face in the crook of Jack’s neck. The captain doesn’t push him away this time and just holds him tight, legs locking around the creature’s waist. Anti purrs, feeling content and warm. He wants to sing but he bites his lips, not wanting the human to panic. He dances instead, bringing the boy with him and adoring how Jack’s hands seek for him. Some fishes sway around them and the human’s eyes light up, fascinated by it all. Anti wants them to stay longer, knowing he could share his breath but doing nothing. He sighs and they swim back up, Jack clinging to him while they go the ship.

 

Anti doesn’t want to let go of the boy when he tries to climb the ladder, he just pulls him back and whines. Jack huffs and tells him to stop, but the siren just can’t shake the feeling away. He just danced underwater with this human, showing off his scales and glowing as hard as he could. Anti knows that he was wooing the boy, his inner animal screaming for him to do it. It really doesn’t help that Jack was responding so well to it, admiring him and dancing along. The green-haired creature presses Jack against the wooden ship and hugs him tight, breathing in his scent that intoxicates his lungs. The captain hesitates for a moment but ends up wrapping his arms around the siren as well, caressing his hair. Anti sighs and rubs his face on the boy’s neck, beard brushing against his skin and making him giggle. By the stars, Anti all but drowns in that sound.

 

He craves the boy and they have to end the courting, they have to seal it with something. Anti’s mind only has this thought, completely taken by it, and he purrs loudly. The siren’s pupils widen and he moves just a bit to look at Jack, noses touching. He bumps his nose on the human’s cheek and whimpers, asking for something without words. Jack sucks in air and his lips part when Anti gets even closer, pressing the boy back against the ship. He wants to kiss the human. He needs to. The creature leans forward, lips brushing against the human’s for a split second, but Jack gasps and turns his face to the other side. Anti freezes and that simple motion makes the siren’s heart break.

 

“T-That’s enough,” Jack whispers and shudders from the cold. “Let me go…” The creature knits his eyebrows and tightens his hold, almost digging his talons into the boy’s skin. “Anti.”

 

The siren releases him, not daring to look at the brown-haired man and just listening to him climbing up the ship. Anti glares down at the water, feeling sour and all that joy from before is gone. No wonder he hated when sirens talked about mates. It can hurt them deeply if they are refused. He’s ridiculous. A fool for falling into this mess. Of course the human wouldn’t want something like this. All they have is the agreement, to just learn about him and vice versa. That’s all. Anti hears Jack calling for him from above but the siren ignores him, diving back into the sea and wanting to stay there for the night. He’s angry at himself, for having this weakness. Anti curls himself into a ball and rests on the sand, wanting to brush all these feelings away and just fall asleep.

  


⤕

  


Morning comes and the siren stirs himself awake, feeling calmer this time. He sighs and rubs his eyes, remembering what happened last night. Despite the creature feeling torn from the rejection, Jack must have felt confused. That he can’t deny. He’s only human, after all. Anti shouldn’t have done any of that without telling him, but it just happened. He got so involved and his inner animal just kept screaming to keep going. The green-haired siren purses his lips. Perhaps it would have been easier if he hadn’t tried to kill the boy in the first place. How would he know, anyway? He huffs and looks around where he’s laying, seeing some starfish. Anti knits his eyebrows, feeling stupid for having the thought to comfort the brown-haired man. He’s supposed to be a violent and dangerous creature, for fuck’s sake.

 

Anti lazily swims low while looking down at the sand, brushing his fingers to find what he’s looking for. The creature stays close to the shore, batting fishes away, and he beams when he sees a seashell that fits in the palm of his hand. The faint orange and brown mixed with pink is beautiful under the siren’s gaze and he curls his fingers around it, swimming back to the surface with it. Anti climbs up to the ship and falls with a thud, groaning and waiting for his body to change. He winces and the cramps are faint, but there nonetheless. The creature takes deep breaths and squirms on the main deck until he has legs instead of a tail. He shakes his head and pushes strands of wet, green hair away from his forehead, clumsily getting up and supporting himself around the ship.

 

When he opens the door to the captain’s quarters, his face falls upon seeing no one there. Anti walks in and dries himself before getting dressed, his clothes still over the bed. He keeps the compass there this time and puts the seashell in his pocket. The siren doesn’t put on the boots, wanting to be barefoot, and he looks around in the silence. Anti can’t be here all day, not knowing when the boy will come back, and he wants to apologize. The creature leaves to walk on the dock, sun high above, and he hopes to find Jack in that tavern from yesterday. It’s the only place he knows and he doesn’t want to go any further into this town. He stands in front of it and he frowns, listening to loud noises inside. Anti enters the place and he huffs, bumping into Ethan immediately.

 

“Where’s Jack?” he asks.

 

“Oh, uh…” the boy says and he looks distressed. “Maybe now it’s not a good time.”

 

Ethan looks behind them and Anti follows his gaze, seeing Jack on top of a table cheering with some of his men while drinking. The human is singing and raising his bottle of rum, clumsily trying to dance. Ethan and Anti grimace, exchanging a look. The siren asks why they let him drink so much again and the boy just shrugs, saying Jack wanted to. They are clapping and yelling, some people are stomping their feet on the ground along with the music. Anti goes to him, the captain’s back turned to the creature, and he calls for Jack. The brown-haired man flips around to see the siren and his expression falls for a split second before smiling big.

 

“Look, lads!” he shouts, words slurred. “Th’ grumpy creature is here! Everyon’ better… better watch out.”

 

“Jack,” Anti glares. “Get down from there.”

 

“Or what? You gonna eat me?” he chuckles and the men follow him. “You g-gonna throw a spell and hiss?”

 

The siren scowls even more, not understanding the human’s behavior. He looks at him and the corners of Jack’s eyes are red, face a bit puffy. He clenches his hands into fists.

 

“Why are you acting like this?” Anti agrily whispers, not wanting to cause attention.

 

“Why?!” Jack shouts and the siren winces. The brown-haired man throws his hands in the air, looking around. “Well, shit! I don’t know, uh… Maybe because of _you_?!” Everyone is dead quiet and Anti hates all the looks they give him. “You just fuckin’ keep comin’ back and you fuckin’ tried to kill me. But here’s the thing… you’re supposed to do _that_ and n-not bat your pretty eyelashes at me! Y-You’re the one who’s actin’ weird! I’m great!”

 

The siren growls at Jack’s overreacting in front of people. He needs to shut up before he says something that will reveal the creature. Robin notices that as well and he tells Jack to get down, to stop screaming. The captain purses his lips and shakes his head, looking like a stubborn child. Anti tugs on the sleeve of his shirt, begging with his eyes, and Jack groans. He points at the siren and complains again, saying he’s using tricks and telling everyone not to fall for him. The green-haired man grunts when the human continues to refuse, so he wraps his arms around Jack’s legs and pulls him forward to make the boy fall over his shoulder. Anti huffs and holds him tight, feeling the human hitting his back with his fists while shouting. Robin drags a hand over his face and Anti says he wants to be alone with the boy. They exchange a look and Robin sighs after a moment, murmuring something about him taking care of Jack or he will kill the creature. Anti smirks and turns around to leave the tavern with the boy over his shoulder.

 

“Let me go!” Jack yells and continues to hit the siren. “Put me d-down, you fuck!”

 

Anti walks back to the ship and the human stops thrashing himself against the creature, murmuring something about feeling like throwing up. The green-haired siren enters the captain’s quarters and closes the door, finally putting the human down. Jack groans under his breath and his legs give out. Anti catches him before he falls and the boy grumbles, calling him names. Robin told the siren to give Jack water so he places the human in bed, telling him to stay still while he catches some in a barrel on the end of the room. Jack refuses the mug of water but Anti glares until he takes it, watching him drink. The creature takes off Jack’s shirt and boots, and the boy crashes in bed. Anti sighs and puts the seashell on the desk, next to the earrings, not wanting it to break. He sits down next to the captain, making sure he’s alright.

 

“I hate you…” Jack mumbles, looking at him through half-lidded eyes. The creature snorts and the boy knits his eyebrows, as if he’s fighting to find the words. He licks his lips and barely whispers. “I thought you left...”

 

The green-haired man caresses his hair, saying nothing, and Jack sighs before closing his eyes. Anti watches him sleep, gently touching his hair down to his neck. He purses his lips and just waits there, lying next to the human. The siren stares at the ceiling and listens to the ship creak, birds chirping outside. Jack made him feel furious and his behavior was extremely childish. Did he really mean what he said, though? Is that all Jack thinks of him? It crushes him to feel like leaving and staying at the same time. Anti adjusts himself in the bed and he dozes off a couple times, turning to look at Jack every now and then. The human’s mouth is ajar, chest moving up and down. He’s gorgeous and the siren’s heart aches.

 

It’s only when night falls that Jack stirs himself awake and the creature is by his desk, fidgeting with the compass and staring at the seashell, still resting next to his notes. The human groans and throws an arm over his face. Anti watches him with green eyes, stopping his movements to be quiet. The brown-haired man rubs his eyes and slowly sits up, one hand on his forehead. He’s grimacing and the siren wonders if he has a headache like before. Jack squints his eyes and he groans even more when finding the creature. Anti follows his every move, seeing him get up and walk towards a small bucket of water to wash his face. His back is turned to the siren, tattoo exposed, and Anti admires it from afar.

 

Jack drinks more water and he makes a face, doing a motion with the mug as if he’s cheering. The green-haired creature glares and the boy sighs, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. He looks at Anti for a long time, batting his eyelashes against porcelain skin. The captain pushes strands of brown hair away from his forehead and the siren watches them fall back.

 

“I’m sorry,” the human whispers. “That was really stupid.”

 

“It was,” Anti knits his eyebrows, but doesn’t raise his voice. They are both mentally tired, so they keep murmuring to each other in the quietness of the ship. “Why did you do that?”

 

“I…” Jack chews on his bottom lip. “I thought… Yesterday, you just… I didn’t know what to do when you… It was-”

 

“It was a mistake. I know. I won’t do it again.” The siren all but scowls at the ground, knowing he was being weak. “I’ll just stick to the agreement. As soon as you are done with your notes, I can just leave and I’ll be far away from you.”

 

“Wh-... What the fuck are you talking about?”

 

Anti growls and puts the compass down on the desk so he won’t accidently crush it with his hands. “The _courting_!” he speaks through his teeth, hating that his heart picks up and he feels jittery. “You refused! You denied it and, alright, I get it. Fine! But you didn’t have to rub it in my face in front of other humans, like I’m just a fucking animal being shamed!”

 

“I… You…” Jack stutters, knitting his eyebrows. “Courting?”

 

The siren groans and he feels like screaming, but he holds back. He takes a deep breath and doesn’t dare to look at Jack. The green-haired man mumbles something about telling him that before but changing the subject, not wanting to talk about it. He’s never done this. It wasn’t meant to happen, but it did. Jack frowns deeper, listening to the creature trying to explain what he was doing. The glow. The dance. The purring and clicking noises. The need to touch and be as close as possible. His sweet scent. Anti’s voice trails off, not wanting to continue, and his shoulders are hunched down. The green-haired man grumbles and silence falls in the room. He can feel Jack’s gaze on him and he purses his lips when the boy stands up, walking towards him.

 

“Look at me,” Jack says when he’s standing right in front of him. Anti doesn’t move and stares at the seashell on the desk. “Anti, look at me.”

 

The tone of his voice is soft and low, and the siren grimaces, not resisting. He finally turns his face to look up at Jack and the human’s expression is serene. Anti’s eyes flutter when the boy touches his hair, caressing him before cupping his face. He leans into the touch, taking everything he can. The brown-haired man rubs his thumbs on the siren’s cheeks and Anti clenches his hands, wanting to touch the shirtless boy. There are more scars on his chest and the creature would do anything to have him. Jack asks if he was really wooing him, as if he didn’t make himself clear already, but Anti nods nonetheless. The captain looks at his desk and sees the seashell, eyebrows going up while picking it up in his hand. Anti ducks his head.

 

“You’re unbelievable…” Jack mutters and his fingers brush over the seashell. “I didn’t know. It’s just… It’s confusing, okay? So… When you tried to keep me there… That was you courting and I stopped it?”

 

Anti makes a pained face, nodding, and the boy puts the seashell back on the desk. Jack murmurs that he never thought a _siren_ would do that to him and Anti agrees, not knowing that either. However, the human’s beauty is so breathtaking and he practically glows in the creature’s eyes. Anti whimpers and wraps his arms around Jack’s waist, resting his cheek on the boy’s stomach. The brown-haired man huffs and caresses his hair, leaning down to look at him. It’s the most patient Jack has ever been with him, not pushing the creature away, and Anti wants it all. He knits his eyebrows and gets up in a quick motion, burying his face in Jack’s neck before the boy changes his mind. The green-haired man breathes in his sweet scent and the human gasps, unsure of what to do. Anti rubs his nose against his skin and the brown-haired man slowly hugs him back, moving his own face to the siren’s neck.

 

“A-Am I…” he whispers, voice shaking from anxiety. “A-Am I doing this right?”

 

The creature purrs and nods, tightening his hold. Jack gives him a shy bump with his nose and Anti beams, pushing them towards the bed. The captain lets him and they fall with a huff, siren on top of the human. He all but curls himself there, heart clenching when Jack chuckles. The boy’s hands go under his shirt and he lightly brushes his fingers on the creature’s back, moving up and down, and Anti feels like jello. They stay like this, not speaking and just breathing in each other’s scents. The creature’s lungs fill with air and it doesn’t hurt. It feels _good_. Anti knows he should feel disgusted for doing this with a human but, by the stars, this is so peaceful. He never felt this way, calm and yet so excited at the same time. Anti’s skin tingles with every touch the boy gives him and he purrs louder. Jack’s heartbeat sings to his ears and he melts in the human’s arms.

 

The brown-haired man moves the siren’s face to look at him, laughing when Anti is all heavy and just letting the boy touch him. “You’re the one who looks drunk now…” he says and the creature drowns in Jack’s sapphire eyes. “Your pupils are _so_ fucking wide right now, holy shit...”

 

Anti rests his forehead against the boy’s and he mumbles something about him being beautiful. Jack flushes and his cheeks gain a shade of red. The creature fights his mind to have coherent thoughts and he asks if the brown-haired man wants him to stop. That he doesn’t have to court back. Jack purses his lips and he blinks, thinking for a moment.

 

“I was avoiding you because I was fucking confused with _myself…_ ” he says. “I still am and I don’t know what my men would think of their captain. For fuck sakes, you’re a _siren_. All I knew was that creatures like you should be feared… But you’re fucking all that up, you know that? I didn’t know I was going to have these… feelings when I first saw you and I could easily be under your spell. It’s scary, Anti.”

 

“I know,” the siren replies. “I’m not doing anything. I gave you my word.”

 

Jack sighs and they exchange a look, both wanting something foreign. Part of the creature feels content knowing that the human feels fascinated in a way, but the other is telling him to leave before he can’t anymore. Anti is getting too close, his heart is starting to have knots around it, keeping him trapped. The siren will soon have no strength to flee. Jack touches his cheek and beard, tugging on it to call his attention. They are both overthinking and it’s a goddamn mess. The human takes a deep breath and says that he’s going insane. Anti can’t help but grin, still feeling high from the boy’s scent.

 

“Okay… Fuck, okay,” Jack mutters after a while, touching the siren’s scar on his neck. “What do you want me to do?”

 

Anti’s lips part and his heart does something funny when he realizes that Jack will try courting back. He’s thrown off guard and his voice fails him, making an inhuman sound instead. The brown-haired man snorts and pats his cheek, telling him to wake up and speak in English. Anti growls but there’s no bite in his tone. He talks about the sea and how sirens usually sing and dance with each other, making spirals underwater to show they are in harmony. But since Jack is human, he’s not sure how it would work. The captain asks if they can try something now and the siren knits his eyebrows, sitting up so the human can do the same.

 

“Jack,” he whispers. “If you do this, it means you are my mate. It’s what happens after the courting. You will be mine and sirens have only one mate for their whole life. Do you understand?”

 

“Oh,” the boy looks down, as if suddenly realizing how heavy the situation is. “Yeah, maybe not right now then. Fuck. I… I need to think.”

 

The siren purses his lips but lets him be. Anti’s exhausted and Jack tells him to sleep in the bed this time. The captain will distract himself, checking his maps and notes. He’ll also want to see Robin before it’s too late into the night and just apologize for what he did in the tavern. The green-haired creature crawls under the covers and curls himself into a ball, sighing and frowning with a confused heart. It’s better this way. Whatever Jack’s decision may be, at least the siren had something new in his boring life. He can leave if that’s what the boy wishes, even if it hurts. Anti buries his face into the pillow and before he closes his eyes to fall asleep, he sees the human holding the seashell in his hands, staring at it in the quiet.

 

 

⤕

 


	5. Chapter 5

Anti is alone in the bedroom when he wakes up and he sighs, stretching himself before getting up. The wooden floor is cold under his feet and he curls his toes, ruffling his green hair. The seashell is nowhere to be seen but the earrings Jack got for him are still there over the desk, shining and calling for him. The creature picks them up, staring at the longer one with the blue gem. Anti hears shuffling outside and he walks up to the door, opening it in hope to see the captain. He immediately scowls when he finds Robin instead, pushing some barrels into the ship. He huffs and pats his hands before looking at the siren, and he returns the expression for a moment before shaking his head. Robin sighs and waves at the creature. Anti purses his lips but nods shortly. The sailor approaches him once he’s done placing the barrels and the siren asks where Jack is.

 

“Good morning for you too,” Robin says. “He said he needs to be alone. I’m not telling you.”

 

“I don’t like you,” Anti narrows his eyes.

 

“Well, I’m not that fond of you either,” the man snorts and then he looks at the earrings in the siren’s hands. He purses his lips. “Jack got ‘em for you, right?” Anti nods, curling his fingers around the silver objects. He can feel the sailor’s gaze on him and there’s another sigh. “You like him.”

 

Anti looks up at him and says nothing.

 

“Do you want me to pierce your ears?” the human murmurs.

 

“What?”

 

Robin rolls his eyes and turns his face to show his own right ear that has a golden ring. Anti raises his eyebrows, liking them, and he nods. The sailor brings him to Jack’s quarters and he doesn’t like the other human there, but chooses not to bicker over it. Robin tells him to sit down on the chair and he lights a candle before fumbling with a few drawers, taking a needle in his hands. Anti frowns but watches him place the edge of the needle over the fire and he removes a cork from a bottle of rum. The creature hisses when Robin rubs his ears with a bit of the alcohol, not liking the smell, and he tells Anti to place the cork behind his left ear. The siren growls under his breath when the sailor takes the needle in his hands and Robin murmurs for him not to move. Suddenly, there’s a sharp pain on his ear and the siren groans but stays still, feeling the needle hit the cork. The human does the same thing with his right ear and Anti winces.

 

“It stings,” he says.

 

“Yeah, yeah. You’re tough though,” Robin murmurs and puts the earrings very carefully, after cleaning them. “It will probably irritate you for a while but it will pass.”

 

Anti gets up and walks towards the full-body mirror, looking at himself. His ears are red but the earrings fall nicely on him, the long blue gem shining on the left and the short silver ring on the right. He holds back a smile, content to be wearing something Jack gave to him. The creature touches his ear and there’s a bit of blood smudging his fingers. Robin says it’s normal and that he shouldn’t touch or remove the earrings for a few weeks. If it gets too bad, thought, he needs to say it. Anti looks at him through the mirror.

 

“Thanks.”

 

The sailor calls him with his chin and asks if he wants to find Ethan so they can walk around town. He says something about today being their last night in town and that they will leave in the morning, since he just finished stocking what they needed already. Robin makes sure to say that, even though he’s not too fond of the creature, he doesn’t hate him and doesn’t want any trouble. Anti will be bored here just waiting for Jack to come back, so he agrees and leaves the ship with the sailor after putting the boots back on. Ethan is by the shore, throwing rocks into the ocean, and the siren hisses until he stops. The boy happily joins them and he compliments Anti’s earrings. The green-haired man beams and follows them, looking at the small stands and shops around town. Ethan calls their attention to a tailor shop, where dresses are in display, showing their work. He wiggles his eyebrows and Anti frowns in return. When the siren tells them that these outfits are pretty, Robin snorts and says these are not for men.

 

“Why not?” Anti asks.

 

“We should get one for him,” Ethan giggles. “I bet the captain would freak out and get into it.”

 

“Absolutely not,” Robin shakes his head. “Don’t encourage him.”

 

Anti squints his eyes but continues to walk next to them, liking that the earrings sway with every move. The people from town are setting up a festival on the beach and Ethan murmurs something about a bonfire on the end of the day. Anti is curious to see it. They go to the tavern to eat and the siren is more than happy to have another piece of meat in his stomach. His mind goes back to the brown-haired man every now and then, and he misses the human. Anti grunts under his breath and scowls, wanting him near. Robin nudges him with his elbow and places a mug of beer in front of him. The creature makes a face but finally picks it up to drink it. The beer is bitter and it makes Anti choke midway, grimacing and coughing. Ethan laughs and that pisses him off. The green-haired man chugs the whole thing to prove he can take it and Robin snickers, passing him another mug. The siren groans and shudders from the taste, scrunching up his nose.

 

They drink for a while and Ethan chants at one point, counting how many seconds it takes for Anti to drink it. The siren is scowling at the table, holding an empty mug for dear life. He feels weird and his head is swimming a little bit every time he dares to move. Anti’s arms are heavy, somewhat slow, and Ethan pokes his cheek. Robin asks if he’s okay and Anti squints his eyes when looking at him, trying to focus.

 

“Of all you, you’re the one that I’d like to eat, t-to be honest… You got m-more meat,” Anti hiccups. “But… Jack likes you… And you’re kind of pretty. So… That.”

 

Robin blinks and slowly nods, sitting a bit far from the creature and saying that that’s enough drinking for today. Ethan is cackling like a goddamn seagull next to his ear and Anti can’t help but chuckle with him, dragging a hand over his face. Is this how Jack feels when he drinks? Surely he can’t be as drunk as the sailor was, but the siren never drank these stuff before. It hits him easily and he feels warm. Anti murmurs something about the brown-haired man, wanting to see him, and the sailors sigh before urging the creature to stand up. Anti’s knees are weak and he frowns, staring at the ground moving. Ethan holds him by the elbow and they leave the tavern after paying for their drinks and food. The sun is setting and people are gathering on the shore for the festival. The green-haired man hears faint music and they walk towards it.

 

When the song is louder to their ears, they see a bonfire burning and people dancing happily with each other. There are food and drinks, people playing instruments and singing while the fire dances with them. Children run and laugh around them, and the siren likes how the bonfire glows with the sun setting. Anti sniffs the air, smelling that sweet scent, and he looks around the place until he finds Jack. The captain is looking at the bonfire from afar, sitting on the sand. He’s wearing that blue coat again and the siren immediately goes to him with wobbly legs, the sailors following behind. Anti stumbles a bit on the sand and he clears his throat, looking at the brown-haired man. Jack perks up at the sight of the creature and his men, greeting them.

 

“Jack,” he mumbles and the human raises an eyebrow.

 

“Did you… Did you drink?”

 

“He both _threatened_ and _flirted_ with me and it’s really unnerving,” Robin says and Ethan giggles, explaining what happened to the captain.

 

Anti sits down next to Jack on the sand and stares at him, breathing in his scent. The men snort and leave them alone, wanting to enjoy the rest of their day. The boy sighs and pushes the creature away a little bit, telling him to stay still because he keeps leaning towards him. Anti’s eyes feel heavy but he doesn’t want to sleep, not now that he’s finally looking at the human. Jack touches his ear for a moment, smiling when he sees the jewels. Anti hums and his eyes fall to Jack’s other hand, seeing the seashell there. The brown-haired man purses his lips and fidgets with it before putting in his pocket, murmuring something about getting a small chest to keep all these things that Anti’s giving him safe. The siren watches him with half-lidded eyes, music playing in the distance and fire crackling.

 

“You smell nice,” Anti mumbles. “I like it… It’s good.”

 

Jack snorts. “Thank you?”

 

“Y-You’re welcome,” he hiccups again. “I hate this.”

 

“You’ll feel better if you rest,” the human says, holding back a smile. ”The fire will be up all night.”

 

The green-haired man nods and without thinking twice, he just lies there. Anti rests his head on Jack’s lap and the boy takes a deep breath, shaking his head. Anti glows when the human caresses his hair and the brown-haired man tells him to stop doing that. The siren grins, speckles fading. Anti never thought he would be sleeping on a human’s lap like this. He tries not to let that angry side of him take over, snarling, screaming at him for being weak and vulnerable. The creature breathes and Jack’s scent calms him down, like the waves of the sea itself are wrapping around him. Anti listens to the faint noises on the beach and closes his eyes, dozing off.

 

Jack shakes him by the shoulders very gently with a small smile on his face. The sky is darker, moon up above, and he sighs.

 

The captain asks if he’s alright and Anti sits up, groaning and rubbing his eyes. His vision is not swimming and his mind is not foggy like before. The siren feels more awake and he tells that to Jack, adding something about not drinking ever again. The boy laughs and it’s a beautiful sound. The creature looks up at the bonfire and people are still celebrating, and the human gets up while brushing sand from his garment. Anti does the same and follows the boy, getting closer to the party. They exchange a look and the glow of the fire cast a gorgeous light over the captain. Jack clears his throat and bows dramatically before extending his arm towards Anti. The siren knits his eyebrows and tilts his head, finding it funny.

 

“Will you dance with me?” Jack asks.

 

The creature perks up at the question, looking at the boy’s hand and then at his face. His lips part in deep thought and the human waves his hand as if calling for him.

 

“Yes,” Anti whispers and their fingers entwine.

 

Jack pulls him closer and wraps an arm around his waist, swaying with the creature. The siren half smiles, half frowns, spinning the boy and listening to him laugh. Jack’s the one who shows the steps of the dance this time, stomping his feet on the ground in a weird rhythm. Anti enjoys seeing the boy, even though he’s not that gracious in his moves. The green-haired man holds him by the waist and tries dancing like the humans, ignoring a couple of looks some people give them. Jack seems a bit nervous but tries brushing it off. Anti asks if he wants them to stop, knowing the human is slightly uncomfortable because they are so close in public, looking so alike. The captain shakes his head, murmuring that it doesn’t matter. That they will leave in the morning anyway and they shouldn’t mind these people. Anti likes his attitude, always wanting to be strong and overcome his fears. It’s no wonder Jack is a good captain, keeping his men together and positive.

 

The brown-haired man pulls Anti by the hand, taking them away from the crowd and heading to the dock where the ship is. The siren looks down at their hands and he tightens their hold, feeling Jack’s warm skin. Fuck. Shit. It’s the creature who is under a spell, not the human. Jack goes to the ship and Anti scowls, upset that the night is over and that this is all they will do. When the boy looks back at him and sees the siren’s glare, he pats his cheek. Anti growls softly and the human snorts. When they enter the captain’s quarters, Jack looks for something on the mess of his shelves and Anti sees a small chest in his hands. The creature thought he was only joking about that, but he eyes the golden little box and it’s scrollwork with awe. Jack takes the seashell and the scale from his pocket and places them inside, sighing.

 

“I…” he says, still looking down at the chest when he puts it over the desk. “You know, that silver compass was the last gift my father gave to me.” Anti stares at him, frowning at the sudden subject but listening to his soft voice in the room. He purses his lips and just stays quiet, letting the human speak whatever is on his mind. “He made it himself and carved my name on the back of it. He knew I wanted to leave and explore, to live in the tide and just… _go_. But I never had the courage to do it.” Jack huffs with a smile, looking at the siren. “The day my father gave that compass to me, he said my heart belonged to the sea and that I needed to find it. So I finally left.”

 

The brown-haired man sighs and walks closer to Anti, and the creature stares at his blue ocean eyes.

 

“I’ve been thinking about what you said… The courting and, well, everything,” Jack continues, whispering. “Maybe you have my heart because… You’re part of the sea or… I don’t know. Maybe I’m just imagining things and being silly but… By the stars, I would rather be crazy like this than just have a fucking normal, boring life. Fuck, I mean… I _can’t_ stop thinking about you.”

 

“You want to be my mate.” Anti says, clenching his hands into fists and hoping that he’s following the human’s train of thought.

 

“Yes,” Jack breathes and then shakes his head, cheeks turning a shade of red. “Which is fucking insane because... Well, you are you.” There’s so much emotion in his eyes, Anti’s afraid he will get lost in them. “But I… There’s this… I don’t know how to explain it but it’s like there’s this _pull_ , an energy, that just makes me wanna come back to you.”

 

The siren huffs but he’s serious, scanning the boy’s face. Anti never thought he would want that. It’s strange. Jack’s shining blue eyes sing for him and he asks if the human is really sure about that. The brown-haired man nods and the siren growls, feeling possessive and wanting to press the boy against a wall. He stays where he is and the captain swallows hard, saying he’ll want to court now. Anti growls louder and Jack chuckles, taking off his coat and boots so they can get in the water. The siren removes his own clothes as well, throwing them on the floor and already craving the sea. Jack stays just with his black pants and there’s no shame this time when the human looks at Anti’s body, eyes turning a darker shade of blue. The creature bares his teeth and wraps a hand around Jack’s throat, not resisting and pushing him against a wall. The captain smirks, not trembling under the siren’s grip, and they don’t dare to touch more than this. Anti groans, wanting to close the gap between them, but he steps back.

 

They walk to the main deck, alone and in the darkness of the night, and Anti is the first to fall into the water. Jack joins him with a loud splash, swaying his legs and arms to stay on the surface while the siren changes. The creature winces, feeling his body burning and bones snapping. The earrings thankfully don’t bother his ear fins, but it still stings a little when it changes there. Anti’s eyes are pitch black and he wraps his tail around Jack, pulling them together. The human puts his arms over the siren’s shoulders and they exchange a look, both breathing a tad faster due to expectation. Anti buries his face in the crook of the boy’s neck, feeling him doing the same, and the creature purrs. For once in his life, the siren wants to push all his anger away and just enjoy this. Just _be_.

 

They swim further from the ship and Jack is already shivering from the cold water. Anti apologies, knowing he’s not helping for having a cold body. The human says he’s fine and he takes a deep breath before Anti pulls them down, into the darkness of the sea. He glows, breathing through his gills, and lets Jack float midwater just like they did before. The green-haired creature begins to swim in circles, watching the human, and Jack touches his tail whenever he’s near. Anti makes a spiral, creating bubbles underwater with his movements, and the boy awkwardly tries spinning too. The creature touches his cheeks with long talons, making sure he is still alright. At one point, the siren lets himself lose Jack’s form completely and shows his dark skin, heart beating fast against his ribcage. He is not beautiful like this. His true form is unsettling and vicious. The brown-haired man cups his face, hair flowing. There’s no fear in his eyes, but admiration.

 

Anti beams and brings them back to the surface so Jack can breath. The boy gasps, wrapping his legs around the creature’s waist. They look at each other, water running down their faces, and the human’s eyes flicker down to his mouth. He chews his bottom lip and Anti groans, bumping his forehead against the boy’s. Jack tightens his hold and he shyly leans forward, noses touching. The creature lets his eyes fall shut and one hand comes to hold the human  on the back of his neck. Their lips touch lightly, beard brushing, and Anti’s heart picks up once again. He knits his eyebrows and he pecks Jack on the mouth. The brown-haired man gasps and he captures their lips again, harder this time and breathing through his nose. They sigh and Anti curls his tail around him in a possessive manner, keeping him there while the waves sway them. Jack’s mouth is warm and wet, and the siren growls. They tilt their heads to deepen the kiss and the human moans, tongues sliding in. They’re chest-to-chest and the boy makes sweet sounds while Anti devours his mouth, kissing him desperately. The green-haired creature whimpers, feeling the courting being sealed, and his heart is taken.

 

“I c-can’t,” Jack mumbles between kisses, breathing harder. “I c-can’t fucking believe I’m d-doing this. I’m in the freaking ocean kissing a s-siren...”

 

Anti grins and cups his face, rubbing his cheek against the boy’s and purring. They stay quiet for a while, just kissing one another in the middle of the night. Jack sighs and his eyes flutter when Anti goes to his neck. He melts in the siren’s arms, throwing his head back, and the creature traces his collar bones with his lips.

 

“I want to show you something. But we will have to go deeper down,” Anti whispers, feeling high from all of this. “I can share my breath.”

 

“God, please do,” the human says and bites on the siren’s lips, making him groan.

 

Anti dives with him, pulling them down, and Jack buries his face in the siren’s neck. He can feel the human shuddering and they will soon have to leave. He doesn’t want Jack to freeze to death. They go deeper and deeper, and Anti pass through seaweed until he finds what he wants. The human grunts, bubbles leaving his mouth, and the siren kisses him while sharing his air. Jack breathes again and Anti urges him to turn around.

 

There, a bit far from where they are, is a bloom of jellyfishes lazily swaying. Their bright colors stand out even in the dark ocean, the vibrant pink and purple glowing so beautifully in their translucent bodies. Jack covers his mouth, eyebrows going up in surprise, and he watches it all. They are safe in this distance and Anti hugs him from behind, kissing the jellyfish tattoo on his shoulder. The human makes a muffled sound and he turns around, clashing their mouths together. They make-out underwater, jellyfishes in the background, and it feels so peaceful.

 

Anti slowly swims back to the surface, never pulling his lips away from the boy’s, and he never felt so good in his goddamn fucking life. Jack lets himself be held and he gasps, choking a bit when the water breaks for them. Anti takes them back to the ship and the human is quiet for a long time, just breathing in and out. The siren has to nudge him, putting his hand on the ladder so the captain can finally climb up, a bit unsteadily. The green-haired creature falls onto the deck and they catch their breaths. Jack pulls Anti to rest his head against his chest while he’s transforming, rubbing his thumb on the siren’s back to soothe him. He groans, stretching his body and scowling. The captain asks if he is okay and Anti nods, both of them getting up with wobbly legs. The human takes his hand and opens the door to his quarters, pushing the siren inside and attacking his neck. The green-haired man moans and throws his head back, being pressed against the wall.

 

“Fuck,” Jack murmurs and looks at him. “You’re so beautiful. I want to make you scream.”

 

He places his thigh between Anti’s legs and the siren gasps, knitting his eyebrows at the new feeling. They pant and tug on each other’s hair while lightly humping. Jack sucks on his bottom lip and the creature melts in his arms, water running down their bodies. Anti swears and looks down to see his dick getting hard, making him whine. Jack touches him everywhere and his fingers wrap around his cock, jerking him off. The siren growls and his heart’s racing, pupils widening. The green-haired man tugs on the boy’s damp pants and they groan, moving towards the bed. Jack pushes him down and Anti falls with a huff, watching him take off his pants. He’s stunning and the siren scratches the human’s back when he crawls up to him. The creature half purrs, half moans, drowning in his scent. He feels drunk again, body heavy, and it’s delicious.

 

“Have you done this before?” the boy asks and Anti flushes.

 

“I have touched myself a long time ago but… Not like this.”

 

“You’re right,” Jack whispers into his ear. “I’ll touch you like no one ever did… I’ll make you feel good.”

 

The captain goes down on him, leaving a trail of kisses and licking the siren’s nipples. Anti arches his back and spreads his legs when the boy breathes under his navel. The creature’s mouth falls open in a silent moan when he feels Jack’s lips around his cock, tongue licking the tip of his head. Anti knits his eyebrows in pleasure, breathing hard through his mouth, and his chest burns when Jack starts bobbing up and down. The siren grabs the boy’s hair and pants, cock filling with blood. Fuck. He didn’t think the brown-haired man would be like this and it turns him on. They’re soaking the bed sheets with their wet bodies and Anti moves his hands to grip on them, trying to support himself somehow. Jack’s mouth leaves his cock and he swallows, ordering the siren to spread his legs more. He’s using that tone of voice, commanding as a captain, and Anti grunts. He wants to snarl but he does what he’s told, letting the boy puts his legs over his shoulders. The creature’s ass is exposed like this and he turns his face away, hating that he’s flushing.

 

Jack goes down again but this time he ignores Anti’s erection, and the siren curses when he feels his warm breath on his asshole. The brown-haired man plants soft kisses there, nibbling and licking his skin. Anti’s grip on the sheets tightens when Jack’s tongue enters his asshole and he tenses up. The boy hums and rubs his thighs, coaxing the creature to relax. The human pulls his legs up even more, lifting Anti’s hips, and he sucks him. Anti lets out shameful sounds and he moves with Jack’s tongue. His toes curl and he throws his head back, feeling overwhelmed. Jack is lapping him greedily, moaning muffled, and his beard brushes against his skin. Anti’s mind is foggy and he hears fabric tearing next to him, turning his face only to see his talons digging into the bed. Jack inserts a finger, stretching him open, and the creature covers his face.

 

“C’mon now…” the boy breathes, moving to look at him while adding another finger. “I want to see my siren…”

 

“F-Fuck you,” Anti groans and the human laughs, curving his fingers to make the creature moan. “A-Ah!”

 

The green-haired man takes Jack’s warm cock in his hands and the boy gasps, thrusting his hips forward. Anti’s eyes turn black when he sees the human leaking so much, smearing his fingers. Jack mewls and loses his posture to the creature, making needy sounds. Anti smirks and looks at their swollen cocks. The boy takes his hand away and adjusts the siren’s legs on his shoulders before bending down. They exchange a look, blue meeting black, and Anti purrs with a grin. Jack shakes his head, murmuring something about this being surreal, and he slowly penetrates the siren. The green-haired man torns the sheets with his claws and he scratches Jack’s back once more, harder this time and making the boy hiss. When the captain thrusts, Anti chokes and moves with him. Jack’s nails dig into his skin, slamming forward and making pornographic sounds. There’s a knot below the siren’s stomach that burns so sweetly and he growls, pulling the boy so they can be chest-to-chest. The brown-haired man curses under his breath, sliding deeper, and the creature bends easily, legs up in the air.

 

“Oh, god… F-Fuck…” Jack mewls. “You feel so good, a-ah! You’re so tight...” Anti is trembling underneath him, moving with every thrust, and his mouth is wide open but he’s not sucking for air. The creature can’t think of anything to say and the corner of his vision turns black, feeling too much. “H-Hey, breathe,” the boy whispers and kisses his cheek. “Anti, you have to breathe. C’mon, baby...”

 

The siren frowns and sucks in air, groaning and shaking his head to wake up. His lungs burn and Jack praises him, murmuring sweet nothings. Anti grunts and he grows tired of being like this, so he pushes Jack until he can place his legs down and he flips them around. The captain throws his head onto the pillow, arching his back when Anti rides him instead. The siren moans, an inhuman sound leaving his lips, and his claws leave red marks on Jack’s chest. The bed creaks and the creature pushes strands of wet green hair away from his forehead, focusing on the human underneath him. The captain raises his hips and keeps Anti in place, wailing when the creature leans down to kiss him. The siren glows and he loses some of his form, teeth too sharp. Jack’s tongue enters his mouth and he pokes his fangs, moaning and caressing his chest. He wraps his fingers around Anti’s erection, jerking him, and the creature whimpers.

 

“Sing for me, siren…” Jack breathes. “I wanna hear you.”

 

“A-Ah!” Anti screams. “S-Seán!”

 

The heat below his stomach is overwhelming him and Jack curses with a strained voice when the siren shouts his real name. He buries his face in the crook of the human’s neck and his whole body tenses up, making him stop moving all together. He sobs and cums, jizzing hard onto his stomach and Jack’s hands. The brown-haired man groans, feeling his asshole clenching, and Anti spasms over him. His cock pulses and the boy touches him until he’s completely spent. Jack thrusts into him frantically, losing pace, and he reaches climax. The green-haired man gasps and moans when the boy fills him up. Anti sighs, feeling warm and shuddering while Jack’s body convulses. They groan and breathe through their mouths. Anti’s eyes turn back to green and their lock their gaze. The human huffs with a smile, dragging a hand over his face, and Anti leans down to kiss him.

 

“Mine,” he mumbles, glaring to show he means it. “You’re mine. My mate.”

 

Jack shivers and Anti rubs his cheek against the boy’s, purring and clenching his ass to feel him. The human moans under his breath and he flips them around, staying on top of the creature. He huffs and says that Anti made a mess, ruining the sheets with his claws. The siren cups his face and just stares at him for a long time. His heart aches and there’s a new feeling of protectiveness hovering over them. The sailor places a hand over Anti’s, leaning into the touch, and the creature knits his eyebrows. How come such a lovely human share his warmth with a vicious being? Anti sought for him in hope to kill and make a feast out of him. Now, this thought alone makes his stomach twist, feeling sick. Jack plays with his hair and the siren sighs.

 

“I am unworthy of your touch…” Anti murmurs. “And yet you still share it with me… Have I charmed you without noticing? Is that it?”

 

“Now you’re the one being a fool,” the boy huffs.

 

“I tried to kill you.”

 

“Believe me,” Jack says. “You’re not the first one to try that and you won’t be the last.”

 

“Still… In the eyes of men I’m just a twisted creature, not to be trusted. Not everyone from this ship looks at me with fear, but with anger.”

 

The captain sighs and rubs his thumb on Anti’s cheek, leaning down to steal a light kiss. “Shouldn’t you want just _my_ eyes on you? Being your mate and all?”

 

The siren purses his lips and he knows that Jack is trying to make him feel better. He caresses the human’s back and thinks about that word. _Mate_. Anti hated this thought not so long ago, never understanding why sirens, that can be so powerful, would ever bond themselves with another creature. It felt like lightning had struck through him upon seeing Jack. It changed everything that he ever thought, irritating and yet fascinating the siren. The captain mentioned before that he didn’t know how his men would react if they ever saw Anti. Now, he wonders what they will think when seeing them together like this. Jack must be certainly anxious, deep down. Even if he wants to hide it, the creature can feel it. There’s this aura surrounding them, bringing them together. The human must feel it too.

 

Jack pulls himself out of Anti and the siren knits his eyebrows, cum leaking down his asshole and smearing his thighs. The brown-haired man brushes his fingers there, smiling when the creature shudders and gasps. Anti grunts and shoves him, watching the human giggle and get up. He picks up a thin fabric and dips it on the bucket of water that he always keep it next to the wooden tub. Jack comes back with the damp cloth, cleaning the green-haired man and himself. Anti frowns, not liking that the boy is removing all trace of their scents. When he says that, the captain pauses for a moment and murmurs that he will keep that in mind next time. He also takes a new blanket, too tired to change the torn ones right now and just wanting something to cover themselves. The siren pulls the human back to bed, locking his legs around him and breathing in.

 

They sigh and Jack finally mentions the jellyfishes, saying he was too lost in awe before and that he never saw them like that. The brown-haired man couldn’t bring himself to speak, too amazed by what the creature showed to him. He feels content and he thanks the siren for letting him see something so beautiful. Anti shines, humming and playing with the boy’s soft hair this time. Jack plants a kiss on his neck and the siren closes his eyes. Their hearts beat in sync and they feel the ship lightly creaking with the sea. It’s quiet and they fall asleep, lulled by each other.

 

 

⤕

 


	6. Chapter 6

Anti blinks and he stares at Jack’s sleeping figure. His heart beats and so does the human’s, echoing in sync. The siren knits his eyebrows and his eyes wander to the boy’s back, seeing his beautiful curves and tattoo. His naked body is covered up to his waist by a thin blanket and Anti extends a hand to push it down, fingers softly brushing against pale skin. The creature rests his hand on Jack’s waist, feeling him breathe in his sleep. The green-haired man sighs and replays their night in his mind, remembering their warmth. A siren bonded to a human. Isn’t that funny? Anti knows he should be feeling angry but, to be honest, he has never felt so calm in his goddamn life. Is that how it feels when you have a mate? Peaceful? Everything feels so slow now.

 

The creature moves to be a little closer to the human, spooning him. He presses a light kiss on the back of Jack’s neck, hand going down to caresses his asscheeks. Anti brushes his lips on his shoulder blades, kissing him. When the siren plants a kiss with an open mouth on the boy’s neck, Jack takes a deep breath and hums. The brown-haired man stirs himself awake, stretching a bit and leaning into the touch. He has a drowsy smile on his face when Anti kisses his cheek, turning a bit to look at the creature from over his shoulder. Jack’s hair is disheveled and the siren thinks that his must look like a mess too. They adjust themselves to be closer, Anti placing an arm beneath the boy to hold his waist, chest pressed against the human’s back. The creature’s fingers wander to his navel, slowly going down.

 

“Anti…” Jack sighs, voice hoarse. “We’ll have to leave soon…”

 

The siren smirks and wraps his hand around the human’s soft cock, feeling him. Jack sighs again and rests the back of his head on Anti’s shoulder, shivering when the siren caresses his abdomen with his other hand. The boy’s muscles tense up whenever he moves and the creature likes that, humming and lazily touching Jack. The captain mumbles something about this being surreal and that he’s dreaming, so Anti makes sure to bite his neck to let him know that he’s very much awake. The brown-haired man groans and his hips move a little, getting hard with the soft teasing. The siren purrs, feeling Jack’s cock growing in his hand. He licks the boy’s neck with his split tongue, adoring to hear him moan and see him thrust faster. Anti’s getting hard himself but he ignores it, only caring about his human. The green-haired man jerks him off, listening to Jack whimpering and panting.

 

The captain squirms in bed, buckling his hips up and leaking precum. Anti growls under his breath and plants hickeys on the boy’s neck, pressing his thumb on the tip of Jack’s cock. The human sobs and his breathing turns sharper, faster. Anti watches it all, adoring to see his mate losing control. The brown-haired man gasps and he knits his eyebrows, mouth wide open. The siren feels him tense up and his thrusts slow down before he’s coming undone, jizzing onto his stomach and smearing Anti’s hand. His cock pulses, swollen, and the creature grunts. Jack takes deep breaths, shuddering in bed while the waves of his orgasm hit him. Anti looks at his own hand and he licks his fingers, frowning a little at the bitter taste.

 

“Fuck,” Jack moans under his breath and Anti hums.

 

The human turns around to face the creature, saying something about taking care of him, but the siren shakes his head. Anti says that he’s fine and content just by giving his mate pleasure. Jack is a little surprised by that but he flushes, ducking his head to hug the siren. The creature wraps his arms around him and he wants them to stay there a little longer. Their scents are mixed together and it’s delightful. The human sighs, curling up in bed and being impossibly closer to Anti. The siren brushes his lips on Jack’s forehead, caressing his hair to calm his heart. It doesn’t take too long for the boy to fall asleep again and the green-haired man blinks softly, thinking of his human’s words from before. About Jack’s heart being with the siren since the beginning and, now that they have finally found each other, they feel whole. Whether this is true or not, Anti won’t deny that possibility if it means he can have this human in his arms.

 

After a while, there’s a knock on the door that stirs them awake and they both raise their heads in confusion, groggy from sleep.

 

“Hey Jack, wak-” Robin stops talking midway while walking in, only to see both of them in bed. Anti’s aware that they are cuddling, only covered by the waist with the blanket, and that they have hickeys everywhere. The sailor sees their messy state and the torn sheets. He purses his lips, sighing. “Jack… Did you fuck the siren?”

 

“Uh-”

 

“You know what, don’t answer that,” Robin interrupts Jack, shaking his hands. “Just put on some clothes, for the love of god. The rest of the crew will be in the ship any second now and… it _smells_ here.”

 

“Why are you so distressed?” Anti smirks. “Do you want to join us?”

 

“I am _out_!” the sailor throws his hands in the air, slamming the door shut.

 

Jack snorts and sits up in bed, scratching the back of his head. Anti watches him stand up, jellyfish tattoo dancing when he stretches. The siren winces when he sits up, feeling sore, and his knees buckle when he gets up as well. Jack goes to him, wrapping an arm around his waist and looking up at the creature with a smile. Anti huffs and says nothing, knowing that the captain is content with what he did to the siren. The green-haired man presses his thumb over a hickey on Jack’s neck, reminding him of that as well, and the human flushes before leaving him be. The captain washes his face and cleans himself from a fresh bucket of water, murmuring something about getting a proper bath later, and Anti likes watching him get dressed. The siren goes to the boy to tie up his vest over the white shirt for him, and they exchange a look. Jack’s serious, a light frown on his face that matches his sigh, and Anti bumps his nose on the boy’s cheek.

 

“Anti…” he murmurs but doesn’t continue.

 

The creature knows what he’s wondering, though. _What now?_ The siren will just stay by his side and he makes sure to tell that to Jack, whispering like it’s a secret. The captain pulls him by the back of his neck so they can kiss, sighing and sucking on the creature’s bottom lip. Anti hears people coming in and he breaks the kiss, saying that the boy should go. Jack clears his throat and leaves the room with a straightened face, as if nothing happened. The siren smirks and gets dressed lazily, sensing the human walking around the ship. He sees the silver compass next to the bed and he takes it, looking at Jack’s golden chest over the desk before going towards it. The green-haired man opens it, seeing his scale and the seashell he gave to the human. Anti places the compass there, thinking it will be better and safer if they’re all together. He can always go there to look at them whenever he wants. That thought makes the siren’s heart flutters.

 

When he walks out from the captain’s quarters, some men purse their lips and narrow their eyes upon still seeing the creature. They probably thought he would be gone by now, so Anti grins and ignores them. Ethan greets him happily and the siren hums, ruffling his hair. The human squeaks and, if he was a creature, Anti is sure that he would’ve had glowed because of that. Ethan asks if he can do the same with him and the green-haired man murmurs a _No_. The young sailor shrugs with a smirk, content with what he got. Anti holds back a smile and just leans against the edge of the ship, crossing his arms and looking at the crew with the boy. Jack’s talking to Robin, rubbing the back of his neck, and the sailor has a worried expression on his face.

 

Anti huffs and looks away, thinking that Robin is probably trying to convince Jack to stop this and stay away from the siren. The creature knows that he’s protective over the captain, but so is Anti. It infuriates both of them, fighting to get Jack’s attention. He hears the human whistling and telling his men to untie the ropes of the sails, looking down at his golden compass and steering the wheel. The ship screams life, creaking and slowly swaying with the calm tide. The port fades in the distance little by little and Ethan pouts, resting his hand on his cheek. Anti sighs and bumps his shoulder, murmuring something about taking him into the sea one day. The sailor’s eyes shine and the siren snorts. Ethan is not as bad as he thought, and Anti finds himself wanting the boy to be happy. It’s funny, feeling attached to some people.

 

The creature keeps Ethan company throughout the day, listening to him explaining how the ship works and stealing some food with him. When the sun begins to set, Jack walks down to them and places a hand on the back of Anti’s neck, chatting with the other sailor. The siren looks at him, not paying attention to what they’re saying, and just keeping this feeling close to his heart. The captain whistles and the crew starts gathering downstairs for dinner, and they all follow. Anti sees everyone sitting at a long table, plates filled with soup and mugs with beer. Jack sits at the end of it and the siren stays by his side. It doesn’t take too long for the men to have fun, chatting louder and playing instruments. Anti tugs on Jack’s sleeve, wanting him closer because he’s been busy all day, and the human holds his hand under the table. They smile at each other, one that carries secrets and thoughts that no one will know. The green-haired man holds back a purr when Jack’s thumb caresses his hand.

 

Ethan is right next to the siren, eating, and the brown-haired man makes a sound when he sees what’s on his hands. He tells the sailor to pass the fruit to him and Anti knits his eyebrows at the rounded yellow thing. Jack cuts it open and offers to the creature with an excited aura.

 

“What is that?” Anti asks.

 

“A lemon,” Jack snorts.

 

The siren takes it in his hands and sniffs, scoffing. He sighs and brings it to his lips, opening his mouth to bite it. The captain screams for him not to _bite_ it but it’s too late and Anti’s face scrunches up immediately, dropping the fruit on the table and making gagging sounds. Ethan is fucking cackling and Jack himself throws his head back with laughter while the creature shivers all over from the citric taste. Anti hisses, sticking out his split tongue in horror. The brown-haired man says something about the siren finally knowing how it is to see him frowning all the time. Some of the men stop chatting to see the creature, a few unwanted looks that makes their laughter fade in the room. A guy in the other end clears his throat, taking a sip of his beer before speaking.

 

“So, captain!” he says. “Is this thing still goin’ to be here with us? Why don’t ye share, then?”

 

Everyone is dead quiet and Anti narrows his eyes, not liking that tone of voice. Robin is pale, arms crossed and looking down. Some others agree with the man, grunting to show that they’re upset. Jack takes his time, drinking from his own mug as well, and he leans his back against a wooden pillar. The captain makes a comic gesture with his hands, half shrugging.

 

“If sharing is what you want, please, go ahead! I would _love_ to see you try,” Jack replies. “Anti surely would have fun with you.”

 

The siren smiles with sharp teeth, eyes turning black for a moment, and the guy purses his lips before looking away.

 

“Anyone else?” the captain asks and no one answers, despite feeling all tense and glaring. “Good. Let’s keep it that way.”

 

Anti glares at them and stands up when Jack does, both wanting to leave and go back to the captain’s quarters. The fresh air of the sea hits their faces when they get out, tense aura slowly fading. The creature purses his lips, staring at the human’s back while they walk through the main deck. This is not good. Jack’s men are starting to doubt him and they want the siren to go away. For once, he understands Robin’s concern. Anti is about to speak about that when they get inside but the boy cuts him off by giving him chaste kisses, over and over. Jack cups his face and whispers how much he missed touching him, how maddening all of this is. The siren sighs, melting in his arms and opening his mouth. The human sucks on his split tongue, moaning softly. He tugs on Anti’s hair and the creature groans, wrapping his arms around the captain’s waist, not resisting.

 

“Do you have any idea,” Jack murmurs between kisses. “Of how much I wanted to kiss you all day?”

 

Anti smiles, knowing very well how he feels. The brown-haired man says something about never sharing him and that the siren is his. The creature beams but tries not to fall for his words, mentioning the tension from before. Jack practically begs with his eyes not to talk about that right now and that he just wants to be with the siren. That everything is going to be okay and there’s nothing to worry about. They exchange a look and Anti purses his lips, feeling that he can never win with this boy. Jack grins and the creature yelps when the boy picks him up with sudden strength, walking them to the desk. He pushes some things away so Anti won’t sit on them and the siren moans when Jack goes down to his neck, biting his skin. The green-haired man locks his legs around the boy, bringing him closer, and he knits his eyebrows at all these feelings. Once again, he never expected to be handled like that. It feels right with Jack. It feels natural and exciting. Anti rolls up the boy’s shirt, taking it off, and he scratches his chest. The captain removes Anti’s garment as well and continues to cover him with hickeys, moving down to his nipples.

 

The siren arches his back, buckling up his hips when Jack sucks on them. He pulls the human back to him, biting his earlobe and sliding his hands under the boy’s pants to feel his asscheeks. They groan and they thrust against each other, feeling their growing erections. Anti sinks his nails into the boy’s skin, wanting to have more of him, and Jack moans while still humping. The siren palms the human through his pants and the boy’s eyes flutter. He kisses the creature hard, pulling his bottom lip until it hurts. Jack gasps when Anti pulls his pants down to his knees, wrapping his fingers around the human’s cock. The captain curses out loud and he shuts his eyes, resting his forehead on Anti’s shoulder.

 

“Oh, god,” Jack pants and thrusts into the siren’s hand. “Please, fuck me.”

 

“What?”

 

The captain bats his hand away and walks to the other side of the room, searching for something on his shelves. Anti is left sitting on the desk with a heavy breathing, legs spread, and he pushes strands of green hair away from his forehead. Jack takes a small jar in his hands and brings Anti towards the bed, practically ripping the pants off the siren. The creature laughs and the boy brings him closer, sitting in the middle of the bed. Jack uncaps the small jar, saying it’s just olive oil, and the siren breathes into the smell. He smears his fingers with it, frowning at feeling, and the brown-haired man sits on his lap. Anti lets Jack move his hand down and the siren’s fingers brush against his entrance. Everything is really slow now and the human’s being patient, guiding him to make them feel good. The creature inserts a finger and the boy hums, telling him to keep going.

 

Anti stares at him in awe, watching the boy move his hips while the siren stretches him open. Jack throws his head back when he adds another one, curving his fingers. The creature pays attention to his expression, scissoring him, and the human moans louder. Their cocks are filled with blood, twitching and curving up to their stomachs. Anti likes seeing him this way and Jack tells him to move faster, putting his arms over the siren’s shoulders so he can get more of it. The captain pants and mewls into his ears, scratching the creature’s back. They kiss, muffling their moans, and Anti inserts a third finger. Jack hums sweetly, pupils wide. The green-haired man growls, starting to feel impatient, and he pulls out his fingers. The human gasps when Anti turns him around, face down to the mattress, and the creature holds his waist.

 

The brown-haired man lifts his ass in the air and the being purrs, caressing his back before leaning down. Anti strokes himself before slowly penetrating Jack, and the boy grabs the sheets while biting his bottom lip. The siren groans and they adjust themselves, taking deep breaths and listening to their hearts beating against their ribcage. Anti thrusts forward and they moan, finding their pace. Jack gasps with every motion, making beautiful sounds, and Anti stares at the tattoo on his back. The creature knits his eyebrows, feeling the human’s tight and warm asshole. It feels so good and the siren all but rolls his eyes in pleasure, slamming faster and digging his nails into Jack’s hips. The boy spreads his legs more, arching his back when Anti hits his sweet spot over and over.

 

“L-Look at you…” Anti whispers. “If they o-only knew their precious captain was b-being fucked like that…”

 

“A-Anti,” the human murmurs, mouth falling open and eyes almost closed. He mumbles something about him being perfectly capable of pinning the creature down. Anti smirks, knowing that this is true and he _loves_ that. He continues to fuck the boy, listening to their skin smacking in the room. “H-Harder!” Jack moans.

 

The siren huffs and pulls back just enough to feel the tip of his cock, and then he thrusts as hard as he can. Jack chokes, sucking in air, and his head falls onto the pillow. Anti rams him onto the sheets, grunting like an animal, the brown-haired man wails in pleasure. The captain half laughs, half moans, enjoying it all. The siren’s heart clenches, adoring to be with his mate, and there’s a fire below his stomach that makes him tremble. Jack’s breathing turns sharper, breaking into gasps, and his body tenses up. Anti doesn’t stop, frantically seeking release. He groans when he sees that the boy is drooling and that he’s shameless humping the sheets.

 

“I’m g-gonna… I’m gonna cum!” Jack cries out, jizzing onto the sheets and smearing his stomach.

 

Anti gasps, feeling the human’s asshole clenching around him, and the creature swears with a strained voice when he comes as well. Jack’s convulsing underneath him, toes curling, and Anti fills him up. They moan under their breaths, spasming and seeing white. The siren rests his forehead between the boy’s shoulder blades and he sighs. He kisses Jack’s neck and holds him, purring and brushing his nose against his skin. The captain slowly turns around with Anti’s help, still wanting to feel the being inside of him. The green-haired man cups the boy’s face, shaking his head as if still not believing on what he sees. Jack’s glassy eyes turn into half moons, smiling at the creature, and that sight alone it’s pure bliss. They catch their breaths and Anti caresses the human’s hair.

 

“If I’m dreaming, I wish to never wake up…” the siren whispers, watching Jack sigh and shut his eyes for a moment. Anti knits his eyebrows, trying to wrap his mind around his feelings. “You speak of your heart being with me, but I think it’s quite the contrary…”

 

“Gosh, you’re so mellow after sex… I love that...” Jack huffs with a smile and bumps his nose against the siren’s, brushing their lips together. The creature lazily licks his mouth, giving him a shy kiss. The human touches the scar on Anti’s neck and he frowns a little. “How did you get this?”

 

“I fought with a siren,” the green-haired man murmurs. “Not all of us live in harmony, you know...” Jack grimaces and asks what could have caused such a thing. Anti sighs and shakes his head, glaring at himself. “Let’s just say there was a misunderstanding.”

 

He tells the human that he heard a siren’s scream of help one day. She was looking a shipwreck out of curiosity and her tail got stuck on a metal door. Anti swam to her and did all he could, pushing and scratching the door. She started panicking and asking for him to pull her tail instead, so Anti did that and they all heard a muffled tear in the ocean followed by a cry. Half of her fin on the end of her tail was ripped off. But, despite it all, she just wanted to be free. However, she had a mate. And he was the leader of their group. Anti was caught in the act as if he did that on purpose, surrounded by her blood underwater. The mate was furious, launching himself forward and attacking the green-haired siren without hesitation, no matter how much she tried to explain between their screams. Anti managed to escape the vicious siren but that mate took away his voice for a long, long time.

 

“Fucking hell, Anti,” Jack says.

 

The siren hums and says that it’s fine, that he can sing again. He buries his face in the crook of the human’s neck, hearing him gasp with the movement and feeling him inside. Jack hugs him, caressing his back, and Anti feels like singing to him. When he mentions that, the captain raises his eyebrows and it takes him a moment to nod. The creature opens his mouth, skin buzzing with anticipation, and the melody falls from his lips beautifully. It feels different to him, even though the human might not notice. It’s softer, lighter. A shy whisper in the middle of the night. Anti lets his emotions flow with the lyric melody, expressing his awe without words. He glows for Jack and for him alone. The siren’s voice cracks and his face falls, his animal side already thinking he failed to impress his mate. Anti freezes and his glow fades.

 

Jack cups his face and rubs his thumbs on the creature’s cheeks, whispering that it’s okay and that he wants to hear the rest of it. The siren knits his eyebrows in worry and he’s upset with himself, but the boy coaxes him to keep going. Anti sighs and leans into his touch, humming once more. Jack smiles and tells him that the siren’s voice is the most beautiful thing he’s ever heard. The green-haired man feels his heart swell and he’s shining brighter, Jack’s blue eyes locked with his. Anti pours his heart for the human and, when the song comes to an end, the boy kisses him. The creature grins at Jack’s expression, probably feeling drowsy from the melody since it’s meant for mates. Jack looks so relaxed, hazy eyes and mouth ajar. He’s stunning.

 

They breathe and Anti pulls himself out so they can turn around, letting the brown-haired man pull the covers for them and wrap his arms around him from behind. It’s warm and extremely comfortable. Anti buries his face into the pillow, curling up underneath the covers like he belongs there, and they fall asleep.

 

⤕

 

“I win!” Anti shouts and puts his cards down.

 

Robin scoffs and stares at the cards as if he was betrayed. The siren snickers and takes all the shining coins for himself while Ethan pats the sailor’s shoulder.

 

“I hate myself for teaching you how to play this,” Robin murmurs and the creature grins.

 

They’re sitting on crates in the main deck, sun setting behind them, and Jack’s on the quarter deck, sailing by himself. Anti looks up at him, wanting to show that he won some weird human game, and the captain tilts his hat for him with a smile. The green-haired man feels his chest swell, his inner animal pleased that his mate is amused by all of this. Robin sighs but his expression is calm, not actually bothered for losing. It’s the longest they have talked without arguing about something. Ethan also keeps things light and fun. Anti is slowly getting used to the other sailor after a couple of days, and learning a few things here and there with him. The siren likes Ethan’s presence more than Robin’s, though.

 

The creature tilts his head to the side when he hears a few men in the ship walk by them with a scowl. Their aura is unwelcome and it’s dark. Putrid. Anti narrows his eyes when that same man from the other night stops behind him, shadow casting over the creature. Robin purses his lips and Ethan is the only one who greets him happily, but a little nervous, trying to politely make him go. The green-haired man growls when the man pokes him on the shoulder and he turns around to look at him with a glare.

 

“Don’t touch me,” Anti murmurs.

 

“Why?” the man replies and does it again, looking at the siren as if he’s just merchandise. “It’s not like ye gonna do somethin’. The captain has ye on a leash.”

 

The creature takes a deep breath, clenching his hands into fits. Robin tells the man to shut up, using his own status so the man can go back to his place. It doesn’t really work and Anti can’t see Jack from this point of view. He can feel his hands turning into claws, digging into his own skin when the man continues to harass the creature. Anti grinds his teeth, trying to stay still and not growl. He flashes a smile at the man instead, shrugging in a cute manner. The siren says that if he’s bothering the man, he should just go and avoid him. That pisses the sailor off, grumbling about how creatures like him only spill venom, that every word will always be a lie. He tugs on Anti’s hair and the siren bats his hand away with a hiss. Ethan is trying to soothe them and Robin is standing up to stop this ridiculous situation, but the next words that leaves the man’s mouth make Anti’s blood boil.

 

“Ye just a pet, aren't cha?” he laughs. “I bet ye’re just keepin’ the captain’s bed warm for him every night and that’s why ye’re still here, hm?”

 

The siren snarls and growls as loud as he can, feeling his chest rumble. His eyes turn pitch black and scales show all over his body, ear fins appearing and moving back. The creature hears Jack shouting and telling them to stop, climbing down to the main deck. Anti doesn’t listen and he sees _red_ , furious that this man talked about his mate like that. He doesn’t think and let himself be consumed by rage, jumping towards the man and bringing him down. The sailor groans and hits the siren, but Anti knows he’s stronger than humans. He hisses, tongue lolling out like a snake, and he violently scratches the man. There are screams in the background, shouting at the two of them. The sailor takes a knife in his hand and the siren leans down to bite the man’s neck, sharp teeth breaking his skin and making him bleed. There’s someone pulling him by the shoulders and the creature growls, chewing the man’s neck.

 

“ANTI!”

 

Jack’s voice rings loudly in his ears and the siren sits up, breathing hard. The sailor beneath him curses and pushes himself away from the creature, a hand covering the wound on his neck while other men help him get up. The siren blinks hard and shakes his head, licking his lips and feeling blood running down his chin. Jack is panting and his large eyes are filled with fear, hands hovering in the air as if he’s uncertain of what to do. Anti swallows and groans, shifting to human and crawling backwards until he’s in the corner of the ship. The siren holds back a whimper, knowing he fucked up. He doesn’t know if he stays there or if he’s supposed to jump off the ship. Everyone is looking at him, Ethan hiding behind Robin, and he grimaces. Jack mumbles an order for the men to take care of that wound before the sailor bleeds too much, and then he covers his face with a pained expression.

 

Anti coos and the captain takes a deep breath, now with a deadpan look, and he tells them to clean the mess from the floor. Jack calls for the siren with a hard tone when he walks to his quarters, and Anti follows with his head down. It’s quiet but the air is tense in the room and the boy brings him to be in front of that bucket of water. He tells the creature not to move and he picks up a cloth, soaking it before rubbing it on Anti’s face. The green-haired man winces and watches Jack in worry, not liking that he’s so quiet. His movements are a bit harsh, desperate, as if he’s not quite paying attention to what he’s doing. The siren looks at the water turning bright pink and Jack’s knitting his eyebrows while cleaning Anti’s bloody hands.

 

“Jac-”

 

“Shut up,” the boy cuts him off. “Just... shut up. If we weren’t involved like that, you would be dead.”

 

It’s the weight of that sentence that makes Jack’s face falls with emotions and he drops the cloth on the floor, trembling and gasping for air. Anti whimpers but doesn’t dare to step closer, and just watches his mate panic over what he did. There’s a new sense of shame in his heart that wasn’t there before. The creature murmurs that the sailor was harassing him, saying horrible things, no matter how much they wanted him to just go away. Anti tried. He really did. But when the man mentioned Jack, he just fucking snapped. Now he knows how that other siren felt upon seeing Anti next to his mate. It’s a _raw_ feeling that consumes them blind and they will do everything they can to protect their partners. The brown-haired man sobs and shakes his head, trembling like a leaf. Both of them want to be strong in their own way but there are so many emotions involved now that it just becomes a fucking mess.

 

“What the f-fuck, Anti,” Jack breathes. “Jesus! To _know_ what you’re capable of is a hell of a lot different than to actually _see._  I can’t believe that I… Goddamnit, Anti, I _fuck_ you! This is ridiculous! A siren in my ship! What was I thinking?!”

 

“You’re my mate… I would never hurt you…” Anti whispers, feeling sorrow upon listening to the boy’s words. It never crossed his mind that the human might regret his choice of sealing the courting. It never crossed his mind that his mate would truly see how he is. Jack huffs, probably thinking that this is an absurd thing to hear. A siren not wanting to hurt a human.

 

“That’s not the point!” the captain shouts. “I’m not everyone! You’re dangerous to everyone but me and I need their trust! This is…” he groans. “Fuck!”

 

Anti knows that if he had his ear fins, they would be completely flat in shame. He doesn’t like seeing his partner so distressed, specially knowing that he’s the one that caused that. “I… I will leave if that’s what you want. I can go,” he says, swallowing hard. “I would do it for you.”

 

The boy sighs and looks at the siren with those beautiful blue eyes, tears smearing his porcelain face. “You know I can’t do that…” he whispers, voice strained. “Not anymore.”

 

“But…” Anti knits his eyebrows and his throat is closing. “I’m not good! You know this deep down, I can feel it! You always thought I would lash out one day. I don’t know how to be a _good_ mate. I don’t kno-” the siren trails off, whimpering, and his shoulders fall.

 

He lets out clicking noises under his breath and he all but falls onto the floor, knees bending. Anti groans and drags his hands over his face, feeling his left cheek sting under his touch. The sailor probably cut him there and the siren can’t bring himself to care. Jack sighs and sits down in front of him, covering the creature with his arms like a blanket. They’re quiet for a moment, letting their hearts beat slow and just taking deep breaths. Anti’s inner animal is practically howling in pain, wanting to apologize and make his mate feel good. The brown-haired man coaxes the creature to lift his head, so they can look at each other.

 

“I can’t,” Jack murmurs. “I can’t let you go, alright? I _should_ and I have no idea how my men will feel after this. This is bad and now everyone’s on edge. Everything was finally doing okay and, fuck… I’m not fond of that man myself but he’s still part of my crew and… I don’t know.”

 

“Are you afraid now?” Anti whispers. “Of me?”

 

The brown-haired man purses his lips and tugs on the creature’s beard. “I… I felt fear when I saw you attacking him,” he replies with a light frown on his face. “But… it was more like a fear of consequences, you know? What will happen _now_?”

 

Anti grimaces and he looks down at the floor, feeling his heart ache. It hurts and he glares at himself, knowing that the boy should get rid of him but it’s too late for both of them. Fucking hell. The creature never thought he would be in this mess, feeling too much. Jack sighs and tells him to get up, making sure that he cleaned all the blood off him. The captain touches his left cheek, feeling the small cut there, and Anti winces a bit. Jack gives him water to drink, not wanting him to have blood in his mouth. The siren says nothing about liking the taste of it and part of him is content that he ruined that man, even if it was just a little. He just drinks the water quietly and he hates how downcast Jack looks, shoulders hunched down.

 

The captain leaves him for a moment, wanting to talk to his men, and the creature curls in bed. He touches the cold sheets with a scowl, wishing to tear that man apart. Anti snarls alone, thinking of cutting that sailor open and eating his flesh while still listening to his screams. He takes a deep breath, not wanting to feel angry right now, and he focuses on Jack’s sweet scent instead.

 

When the brown-haired man comes back, he’s still upset at Anti. He looks worried but he murmurs something about Ethan and Robin helping a bit. They explained exactly what happened, defending the siren, but half of the crew is still uneasy and they are suspecting the captain’s interest on the being. Jack trails off, complaining about a headache and not wanting to talk about it anymore. He just falls in bed with a groan, whispering something about how he feels a pull to be closer despite it all. Anti is aware of it, feeling the same, but they do nothing to close the space between them. The siren doesn’t like that at all and it makes him feel somewhat hollow. Jack turns his back to him to sleep and the creature holds back a whimper, missing contact.

 

However, when the moon and the stars are almost fading in the sky, something stirs them awake. There are loud noises in the ship that are followed by heavy steps and a harsh knock on the captain’s door. They both raise their heads to see Robin panting and looking alarmed, and Anti can’t understand a single thing that leaves his mouth because it’s just too fast and desperate. Except for one word, and that word alone makes their blood run cold.

 

_Mutiny._

 

 

_⤕_

 


	7. Chapter 7

Anti sees Jack abruptly getting up, putting on his blue coat and boots before taking a sword in his hands. The siren eyes the weapon, it’s silver pattern shining like a menace, and his heart skips a beat. Robin is still talking to them but the creature can’t focus on any of that, only staring at Jack with wide eyes. There are sounds of swords clashing outside and he can only imagine that part of the crew is trying to end this mess. The captain looks at him with a scowl, telling him to stay in the room and lock the door. Anti hisses and stands up, refusing to leave Jack behind in a moment like this. The brown-haired man groans and Robin yells that there’s no time for this. They run to the main deck, finding everyone fighting each other, and Jack all but shouts to stop this nonsense.

 

Those men that used to harass the siren yell their complaints and Anti recognizes the one he attacked, neck patched-up. They say that the captain is not like he was before. That they will not continue to stay in a ship with a dangerous creature that can kill them all. Jack raises his sword in the air, glaring at them, still arguing and trying to convince these men to stop. Anti is behind the human, looking around, and he finds Ethan across the ship with a guy keeping him there. The siren clenches his hands and holds back a growl, waiting to see if this mess will continue or not. That man says that, if Jack wants to prove he is still their captain, he will have to get rid of the siren for good. The boy practically howls with rage.

 

_“I will not!_ ” he screams. “And by the stars above, you will _not_ have this ship. I am the captain of this crew and I will sink this goddamn thing with me if I have to!”

 

“Then so be it!” the sailor shouts back.

 

Anti sees Jack clash his sword with the man’s, fighting for his position and his ship. There’s anger in the captain’s eyes and his stance is steady, striking fast with his weapon whenever the pirates get closer to him. Robin is defending himself as well and Anti all but runs towards the other side of ship, pushing everyone away until he reaches Ethan. The siren snarls at the man that’s pointing a sword at the boy and he moves fast, sharp talons going for the man’s throat. Ethan swears out loud at the sound of skin being cut open but he picks up the fallen sword and awkwardly holds it, thanking the creature. Anti says he has to leave, that he should get inside an emergency boat with Robin. Ethan purses his lips and, before they come to any conclusion, there are more men going for the siren. Anti finds Jack’s gaze from across the ship, asking something without words. The brown-haired man strikes a man down, sinking his sword into the man’s chest, and he nods.

 

The siren grins and he hisses, showing his claws at the men before him. Anti launches himself forward, fighting and climbing up to a man’s back to break his neck. He moves graciously and Robin shows up next to him to help. The sailor is only knocking them down and Anti calls him a pussy. They exchange a smile and Ethan groans, yelling for them to shut up and just keep going while he goes to the boat. However, there’s a loud scream that calls the siren and makes him freeze. He looks towards the main deck to find Jack with a pained expression, curved down and with an arm around his body. When he falls, some men move quickly to tie the captain’s legs and hands while he’s weak. Anti’s blood boils and he all but runs towards his mate, half listening to Robin shouting for him to stay.

 

The sailor that struck Jack points at the siren and gives orders. Anti only has his eyes on his human and, when he’s almost there, they all push him down to the floor and they keep holding him still. The siren screams and snarls, gasping when they start taking his pants off. Anti growls and scratches everything he can, thrashing himself on the floor when a sailor throws water at him. The green-haired creature shields his face, grimacing while they keep splashing buckets of water all over his body until he begins to shift. He grinds his teeth and scratches the wooden floor, groaning when his bones pop and skin breaks. Anti’s heart is beating madly against his ribcage, breathing hard through his nose, and he’s trembling with rage. He gasps when his gills open, squirming on the floor.

 

“My dear captain,” the sailor says, pulling Jack by the chin so he can look at Anti. “I’ll prove to ye how much ye’re wrong, thinking this thing truly likes you… How ‘bout we make a test?” he chuckles and nods at his men.

 

They push the brown-haired man up to the edge of the ship and they lock something round and heavy around Jack’s ankle with a chain. The captain thrashes himself and calls them names, saying that this is ridiculous. He screams at Robin to sink the ship down but then someone gags him up and Anti whimpers. The hideous sailor picks up his sword and walks towards the wailing siren. The creature’s throat is closing and he’s struggling to breathe, but he doesn’t take his eyes off Jack. He sees the sailor raise his sword in the air out of the corner of his eye and then, there’s a muffled scream coming from his boy. Anti knits his eyebrows and he looks down at his own body to see the sword there, sunk right below his waist. The siren’s mouth falls open and the sudden pain finally hits him, too shocked at first. The sailor managed to hit him close to where his human part begins, where it hurts the most, and the pain he feels is _so_ incredibly sharp that he can’t even bring himself to scream.

 

“Are ye up for a swim, captain? Let’s see if this thing will go for ye or just save itself.”

 

They push Jack off the ship and the siren howls his heart out, throat scratching and ear fins moving back. The sailor stabs him again, twisting his weapon, and Anti screams, tail wagging madly in hope to hit someone with the barbed stinger. He’s too torn and he sees white, feeling his mate’s despair under the sea. There are more shouting and he hears the ship creak loudly, wooden floor shaking. Everyone frowns in worry and he sees the blurry imagine of Robin and Ethan, yelling that they will all go down. They launch forward and, before the man hits him again, he sees Ethan pushing the sailor away and Robin takes the sword from his tail. Anti wails and crawls as fast as he can towards the edge of the ship, wanting to follow his mate. There are more weapons clashing in the background and the whole damn thing is breaking apart but all he cares about is Jack. Anti just throws himself into the water, falling ungraciously, and fighting himself not to pass out.

 

The sounds are finally muffled to his ears and he shakes his head, feeling confused and lost. There’s blood flowing in the water and it hurts to swim. Anti winces but his heart hurts more, so he goes deep down as quickly as he can. His vision turns black for a few seconds but he refuses to give up right now. The creature whimpers when he sees the silhouette of Jack’s body below, still slowly sinking with the weight of that damn thing around his ankle. He holds the boy in his arms, patting his cheek. Anti groans when he realizes the human is unconscious, mouth ajar, and he snarls, cutting the ropes with his claws and breaking that chain apart. He howls underwater, screaming as loud as he can to call for predators nearby. When the siren reaches the surface, holding his human in his arms for dear life, he sees the ship coming apart and they are all trying to flee. Anti sees Ethan and Robin on a boat a bit far from all that chaos, so the creature awkwardly swims towards them.

 

“Anti, are you alright?!” Ethan shouts the moment he sees the siren panting.

 

He shakes his head and urges Robin to take Jack from his arms, trying to raise him up. The sailors gasp and bring him to the boat, checking on their captain. The siren is holding on the edge of the boat for his dear life, wincing, and his eyes are almost closed. His vision is swimming and the wound below his waist is hurting like hell. He half listens to Ethan explaining that they sunk the ship and broke the other boats so no one could flee, saying they deserve it for betraying their captain. Anti murmurs something about sharks coming soon and that they need to go far away. Robin curses out loud and the creature blinks, fighting to stay awake.

 

“Is he breathing…?” he mumbles and the sailor takes a moment to answer. He hits the boat with a fist, filled with frustration. “Robin, is he breathing?!”

 

The man starts pressing his hands over Jack’s chest and Ethan grabs his own hair in worry. Anti wails and scratches the wooden boat, feeling his heart breaking. Robin blows air into the captain’s mouth and repeats the same process, over and over. The green-haired man whimpers when Jack suddenly coughs water, choking and sucking in air. He groans and Anti sees his eyes roll back before passing out. Robin sighs and tells the creature that he _is_ breathing now but they grimace when the sailor raises Jack’s shirt. There’s a long gash on his right side that is bleeding, too wounded. Ethan goes pale and murmurs that this is not good, that he can’t bleed too much or they will be in trouble. Anti purses his lips and leans forward as much as he can so he can touch Jack’s face, heart aching.

 

He looks around the sea, sunlight making him squint his eyes, and he knows that they were getting close to another port, but there’s nothing in sight except for the ship sinking. Anti goes underwater to see if he can recognize something and he makes a face. He tells Robin to go in the same direction that they were going before, and Ethan wraps a torn fabric around Jack’s torso to stop some of the bleeding.

 

“Take care of him,” Anti says. “I know of something that can heal him but it will take me some time to come back. A few hours, maybe. I don’t know.” He exchanges a look with Robin, both frowning in frustration. “I beg of you… Please.”

 

“I’ll always take care of my captain, siren,” the sailor smiles.

 

Ethan touches his hand for a moment, telling him to be careful as well. Anti huffs with a weak smile, feeling exhausted, but he closes his hand around the boy’s nonetheless, nodding. The green-haired creature looks at Jack one last time before diving into the ocean. Before he goes deeper, he looks back at the now underwater ship and sees the rest of the men struggling to swim. Anti growls and goes there to find that man he wounded before, smelling his blood. The siren hisses and jumps onto him, sinking his claws into his chest and biting his throat. The creature curls his tail around him, pulling the man down and popping his bones. There are sharks around them now and Anti grins, watching the sailor die in his arms, filled with agony. He lets the predators have fun for now and he leaves, flinching in pain.

 

Anti groans to himself, furious with everything that went wrong. Maybe, if he hadn’t attacked that man, this wouldn’t have happened. Is this the fear that Jack was speaking of? The consequence that may come? By Neptune’s beard, how would he know? Anti feels desperate and fearful for his mate. Just now that he finally got to be with his human. He doesn’t want to lose him so soon. It will break him apart. It already does. The creature goes down in the depths of the sea, sighing and hoping that what he’s doing will work. Sirens are extremely fast and they like to race each other but, due to the wound, Anti is slower than he ever was. He passes through seaweed and odd fishes, getting closer and closer from a place he never thought to return.

 

He stops by the entrance of a large crevice, finding sirens swimming lazily between the tall rocks that hide them from bigger predators. They are peacefully living their lives, some lying in their caves and some chatting with each other. Anti purses his lips and looks down at his wound, hoping no one can smell his blood from here. The green-haired man sneaks his way in, knowing this place by heart, and he has his own little safe path in this place. Anti enters a cave where they keep their supplies and some random stuff they find in the sea. The siren searches on the walls for a small bottle and he groans, getting impatient when it takes longer than it should. He’s running out of time. The creature scans the place, fumbling awkwardly between several bottles that they have, and he hears a muffled thud that makes him stop. Anti ear fins flicker and he turns around to see that siren, holding his trident with sharp claws. He purses his lips.

 

_“How’s Amy?”_ Anti speaks in their language, fast and clicking sounds echoing in the sea.

 

The siren with the dark red tail hits his trident onto the sand once again and the green-haired man flinches, knowing that it’s their way to show authority and shuts them up. Anti hates that. They exchange a glare and the other siren lift his chin up, baring his sharp teeth.

 

_“Don’t you dare say her name! What are you even doing here?”_ Dark hisses and Anti returns the gesture, saying nothing. The leader’s eyes fall to his ears, noticing his earrings, and his eyes widen in horror. _“You have been on land.”_

 

Anti groans, saying he doesn’t have time for this and that he will leave as soon as he finds the goddamn thing. Dark howls that he’s bringing danger to all of them, not knowing if humans followed him. There’s rage in the leader’s eyes and he swims fast towards Anti, grabbing the creature by the throat and pointing his trident at him. Anti hisses and he tries raising his barbed stinger, but it makes him wince. The dark-haired man narrows his eyes and sniffs him, eyes scanning him up and down. Anti snarls and scratches Dark’s face, fighting to be free and they keep growling at each other like furious animals. The leader tightens his hold around his neck, threatening to take his voice once again. He brings the green-haired creature down on the sand, keeping him there and looming over him with a glare. Dark scoffs and the creature knows that he can sense his bond from there. It’s too recent. Fragile.

 

_“You’ve been mated,”_ he grumbles. _“Is it a human?!”_ Anti purses his lips and looks away, hating that he’s being questioned like this, but the fear of losing his voice is there. Dark has this menacing aura that easily casts over all of them and there’s that instinct to obey their leaders that he hates. _“Answer me!”_

 

_“Yes! It is a human! Now let me go, you fuck! I don’t have time!”_

 

_“For what?!”_

 

_“He will die!”_ Anti screeches, painful sounds leaving his lips. _“He will fucking die if I don’t hurry!”_

 

Dark sneers, seeing that the creature is hurt. _“Would you really belittle yourself for a human like that? Just when I thought you couldn’t disappoint me more...”_

 

_“I can’t lose him!”_ the green-haired siren screams, grimacing and heart aching. He looks at Dark’s full red eyes, begging for him to understand. “ _Please! Dark, let me go! I can’t lose him! I can’t! You must know how it feels! You must know! You have to! Amy would’ve died alone that day and you know it! Something would’ve hurt her and killed her if it wasn’t for me, you piece of shit!”_

 

_“Do not talk about her!”_ Dark snarls, sharp teeth showing. He strangles the creature, groaning and watching Anti squirm underneath him. _“Because of you, she can’t never swim like before! You’re a disgrace, involved with a human! You reek just like them! You’re a shame to us all!”_

 

Anti wails, sensing his mate far away and weaker after every second. There’s a glimpse on the corner of his eye and he looks at it to see the salve he was looking for, fallen on the sand. The green-haired man groans and Dark doesn’t seem like he’ll help at all. Anti knew that coming back would be difficult if he ever saw this siren, both having such a temper. He knits his eyebrows, finding the last strength he has in him to fight back and he twists Dark’s wrist. Anti scratches his shoulders and they growl, swimming fast to attack one another. The siren with the red eyes throws his trident at him and Anti dodges it, leaving the cave to have better space. More sirens notice their presence and they gasp upon seeing them fight mid-water, claws and teeth digging into skin. Their tails curl around each other, pulling one another, and Anti thrashes himself on the sand to raise a cloud of dust. He gasps when Dark hits his left eye with his talons and he whips his tail hard enough to push the siren away.

 

He swims towards the cave again and quickly snatches the bottle in his hands, passing through everyone and wanting to escape from this stupid fight. Dark growls and catches up with him, grabbing his tail. Anti hisses and spins like a spiral before punching the dark-haired man in the face. He hits Dark with his tail as hard as he can and the leader is knocked back against a rock, gasping and groaning. The green-haired man can tell that he’s disoriented, shaking his head, so he takes that opportunity to flee. Anti curses to himself, feeling weak, but he’s holding that bottle for dear life. Everything hurts, his whole body is sore and all scratched. The siren keeps going until he sees the wrecked ship underwater and he breaks to the surface, looking around to place himself. He goes north and, when the sun’s setting, he sees the silhouette of a boat next to a cove entrance.

 

Anti makes his way there, struggling to swim, and he shouts when he sees the sailors. The siren approaches the cove, for once being thankful not to be in the sea, and he gives the bottle to Robin. Anti mumbles something about being like an ointment that heals faster, made with seaweed and other things from under the sea that they wouldn’t know about. Ethan drags him to the edge, helping him get inside but still keeping him in shallow waters. He lies down next to Jack against the dark rocks and watches Robin open the medicinal salve, spreading it on the captain’s cut. There’s so much pain in him right now and he’s panting hard through his mouth. Anti’s shaking like a leaf, staring at his mate with a blurry vision. Ethan says something to him, about his wound and to calm down. But the siren just sighs and his eyes rolls back, body shutting down. Anti finally lets go and he faints, vision turning dark.

 

⤕

 

“Anti?”

 

The siren knits his eyebrows and he groans, slowly opening his eyes to see Ethan looking down at him. He sighs and drags a hand over his face, feeling sore, and his chest hurts from breathing so hard. Anti looks around to see them still in the cove and Jack’s near him, unconscious. Robin is resting his back against the wall of rocks, looking exhausted, and Ethan looks sad. The creature looks down at his body to see that he didn’t shift, shallow waters softly hitting him, and he sees the wound below his waist. Anti narrows his eyes and Ethan whispers that they put some of that salve on him, after Jack’s cut was taken care of. The siren huffs, thinking that they should’ve used all of it on his human instead.

 

There’s a translucent green layer over his injury and Anti lightly touches the right side of his hip, feeling the wound. It will leave a scar and there are no more scales on that spot, but the salve will heal the injury faster. It’ll make a crust that will protect it from any infection or blood loss. The siren purses his lips and lets the faint scent of his mate calm him down. Anti looks up at him, caressing his hair and resting his forehead against Jack’s. He coos and bumps his nose on the boy’s cheek, as if telling him to wake up. Robin says that he will be fine but they will need to wait before going anywhere. Ethan pats Anti’s shoulder and the siren welcomes the contact, seeking comfort. They all exchange a look, torn by the loss and tired of the fight.

 

Anti takes Jack’s hand in his, wanting to feel him in some way, and they all sigh. The young sailor murmurs that he managed to steal some food before everything went to shit and Robin crosses his arms, frowning at nothing in particular. The siren stares at his mate, humming at whatever Ethan says to him. He watches Jack’s chest slowly move up and down with his breathing and Anti feels weird. It’s like someone twisted his heart too hard, like a piece of him was ripped off without any warnings. He’s not even scowling, too tired and not quite present. How would it be if he truly had lost his mate? For the stars, the creature all but grimaces and holds back a whimper. He never thought about this other side of having a partner. The grief that may come. It leaves a stain in his heart and a bitter taste in his mouth. Anti hates it.

 

When Robin asks where he went, the green-haired man briefly explains about his home and how some sirens are in charge of healing, making potions and salves. He thanks the creature for what he did and Anti sends him a weak smile, lying his back against the rocks. Ethan sits next to him and it doesn’t take too long for young sailor to fall asleep. Robin is almost asleep as well but he fights it, wanting to keep an eye on Jack just like the siren. The sailor clears his throat when it gets too quiet, calling the creature’s attention.

 

“I really mean it…” he whispers. “Thank you.”

 

“I’m grateful for what you did as well,” Anti murmurs. “I’m sorry for the ship.”

 

“I warned him,” Robin shakes his head and looks at the captain. “But he was too enamored. You only have eyes for each other, huh? It will be hard to recover from that, though. All of our gold… Everything was there… Jack fought a lot to have his own place in the sea. I know he gave the orders but he will be devastated.”

 

The siren knits his eyebrows and thinks about that for a moment. He looks back at the sea and then at his tail. Anti moves it a bit, stretching, and he sighs. He moves a bit closer to touch Jack’s face, caressing his boy’s cheek. The green-haired creature purses his lips and his heart beats for the human. Not so long ago, Anti would scoff at himself and think he lost his sanity for having emotions towards a man. Now, the siren would do anything for him. Anything at all.

 

“I can go back,” he murmurs. “I can bring you some of the gold.”

 

“Anti, you’re hurt.”

 

The creature shakes his head. “I will be fine. The salve is helping. Just watch him while I’m gone.”

 

Before the sailor can say anything else, Anti crawls back into the sea with a long sigh and he swims away. He didn’t think he would be so sick of being in the ocean, going back and forth. The siren finds the wreck after a while and he touches the statue of that woman, looking at it. It will look beautiful once this land takes it to itself, wrapping the ship with its nature like a blanket. Anti swims to the captain’s door, opening it and grimacing at the sight. Everything is a mess, floating mid-water, and the few memories that they shared there already stings in his heart. The green-haired creature looks for a satchel and he remembers all that money he took from Robin by playing a game. Anti had them hidden under the bed, inside a leather box, so he takes it and places in the bag. He looks around the place, gathering everything valuable that he can find in the ship. The siren would carry one of their chest but he doesn’t have the strength for that right now.

 

Anti is about to leave when he remembers that small golden chest Jack showed to him. He swims to the end of the room, scanning the little area and grimacing at the sigh of Ethan’s ruined drawings. The siren finds the chest under a pile of books and bottles, and he holds it close to his heart. Anti sighs and leaves, knowing he’ll never see that ship again.

 

When he spots the cove, the creature lazily swims on the surface towards them and he sees Ethan waving at him in the middle of the night. Anti thinks of returning the gesture but then he jumps up and down, pointing at the captain next to him. The siren gasps and he dives to get there faster, heart racing against his ribcage. He sees Jack’s figure trying to sit up and he all but jumps from the water, crawling up to his mate. Anti holds his breath when their gaze meet, blue meeting green, and he drops everything to push himself closer. Jack huffs when the siren hugs him, arms over his shoulders, and they fall back with a groan. Robin tells him to be careful but all he has in his mind right now is _Jack._ His mate. The brown-haired man hugs him tight and Anti feels the corners of his eyes burn, tail wrapping around the boy’s legs. The creature breathes in Jack’s scent and a sob leaves his lips. Everyone is dead quiet, listening to a siren crying for the first time.

 

“Anti…” Jack whispers and his voice is hoarse. “It’s okay…”

 

Anti wails and his chest hurts, fat tears falling from his eyes. Jack’s trembling just like him and he cups the siren’s face, shushing him while the creature’s tears hit his cheeks. They look at each other and there’s agony in their expressions, both suffering from all of this. He’s touching the human everywhere and Jack caresses his hair to calm him down. Anti’s tail is wagging back and forth and he whimpers, letting the heavy tears stream down his face.

 

“It h-hurts, Jack! It hurts…” the creature mumbles between sobs. “I’m s-sorry, I’m sorry for what I did. I know you were mad and I’m not good. I k-know...” he continues. “I thought I was g-going to lose you.”

 

Jack looks like he’s in shock to hear him like this and he rests his forehead against Anti’s, murmuring sweet nothings. They peck their lips over and over, and the siren buries his face in the crook of the boy’s neck. Ethan and Robin are quiet, not wanting to interrupt their moment, but they seem relieved as well. Jack extends a hand towards them, still pinned by the creature. They laugh and hold him too. Anti groans and it feels like his heart will burst, so he takes deep breaths. The captain brushes his lips on the creature’s mouth before kissing him and they sigh.

 

“I knew you would come to me…” he says and brushes his fingers on Anti’s cheek, wiping his tears. He turns his face to look at the sailors, pursing his lips. “Is she gone? The ship.” Robin nods and Jack takes a deep breath. “Goddamnit… That bastard...”

 

Anti gives him some space, still holding him while asking how he feels. Jack snorts, murmuring something about feeling like shit. He had it worse than this, though. The brown-haired man grimaces, touching the siren’s left eye and asking what happened. Anti winces a bit at the contact and he knows he has a cut from Dark’s claws there. He explains what happened to his mate, that he had to fight that asshole again. Jack looks worried but the creature makes sure to let him know that it will be alright, that he will heal as well. Even the sailors say that if he hadn’t done this, the captain would have suffered from blood loss and died.

 

“I can’t believe you risked your life like that…” Jack whispers. “You’re insane… You speak of losing me, but you’re so fucking reckless.”

 

“Ah,” Anti smiles and steals a kiss. “There’s my captain… insulting me again.”

 

“I know this is pretty and all, but…” Robin clears his throat. “We kind of have a situation here. We need to go the port as fast as we can or, you know, we will die. We don’t have much food.”

 

The creature hums and shows him the satchel with all the gold he could carry, and Ethan praises him. Anti picks up the golden chest in his hands and shows it to Jack, saying something without words. His human huffs and takes it, exchanging a look with the siren. They are grateful that the green-haired man brought some of the gold. It will help them start again. He stays in the water, not changing because of the wound. It will hurt like hell if he shifted, so he just watches them mumble their thoughts of what they can do. They were almost reaching another port, missing a day or two. Ethan says they should go already because it will take some time and Jack still needs to recover in a proper place. Anti will follow and guide them to safety.

 

Jack groans in pain when they help him stand up and the creature can’t help but hiss, wanting them to be careful. They get in the boat and his human wraps an arm around his waist, wincing and curving forward. Anti gives the boat a push and they start paddling. Jack stares at the sea with droopy eyes and the creature sighs, knowing he’s sorrowful for losing all he had. The moon is high up in the sky and it’s casting a beautiful glow over them. Anti clings to a side of the boat, staying on the surface with an exhausted heart. Ethan sings at one point, wanting to cheer their spirits, and the siren joins him, humming. Jack looks down at him and caresses his cheek. Despite being so near, they are longing for each other. Anti places a hand over the boy’s, softly blinking.

 

Anti sighs when they arrive at the port, in a new morning, and he stays low while Robin finally leaves the boat with a groan, tying it up with ropes to keep it in place. They help Jack get up and step on the dock, but the human looks back at the siren with worried eyes. Anti can’t leave the ocean, not right now. He will need to heal a bit longer there and Jack grimaces, not liking that at all. The creature sends him a wistful smile and the boy leans down despite the sailors complaining about it. Anti brushes his fingers on the human’s dry lips and they kiss. He knits his eyebrows, hating that he has to let go, and their lips make a sweet sound when they pull away. He tells Jack not to worry, that he will be right there, waiting. The human needs to find a place to rest, all of them do.

 

Jack purses his lips but stands up again, placing an arm around Robin’s shoulders for support. They all say goodbye for now and Ethan lingers a little bit, holding the satchel and the golden chest for them. He tells Anti to rest as well and the siren huffs, splashing water on him. They smile and the young sailor finally leaves, catching up with them. The creature’s face falls when he’s alone and he drags a hand over his face, feeling utterly exhausted. When he first saw the captain, he never thought he would be so involved like this. That he would suffer and feel fear of losing a human. Anti sighs and dives, lazily going down so he can finally rest against a rock and calm down. He looks up at the surface, early sunlight reflecting beautifully, and he closes his eyes, hoping for a better tomorrow.

 

  
⤕

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought I should share this [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boCbIwaNOLw) because, even though it doesn't match the tone of the playlist, I really like this one! Hope you guys like it as well! One more to go! :)  
> 


	8. Chapter 8

Anti sleeps for a long time and he only wakes up because he hears a light splash on the surface that makes him frown. He blinks, groggy from sleep, and he looks up to see pebbles hitting the water every now and then. Anti watches a new one slowly sink closer to him and he lazily swims up. When the water breaks for him, the siren looks around, feeling a bit disoriented, and there’s a whistle in the air. The green-haired creature turns towards the town and he sees his human waving at him, leaning against a low stone wall next to the dock. Anti sucks in air and he goes to Jack, frowning a bit to see him standing. The siren touches the wall, looking up at him, and he shakes his head.

 

“What are you doing here?” Anti asks. “Do you not know what _rest_ means, human?”

 

Jack snorts and the creature notices that his beard is trimmed, hair clean. He’s wearing fresh clothes, white shirt moving a little with the wind, and the human’s aura seems to shine a bit more.

 

“I think you know more than I do…” he says. “You slept for almost three days. Ethan was worried, thinking you were dead.”

 

Anti frowns but then puts a hand over his stomach. No wonder he feels hungry and disoriented. The siren must’ve felt so tired, his body just shut down. He looks at his tail when Jack asks him about it and the salve is doing its work. There’s a dull ache now but the creature couldn’t care less about him, worried about the human instead. Jack sighs and says that his wound is fine, that there’s a bandage around his torso. Anti wants to climb up the wall to touch him but they can’t risk someone seeing the siren, and the boy purses his lips. The green-haired man raises his arm as much as he can, fingers brushing with the human’s. They exchange a look, grimacing, and Anti coos. There’s that longing feeling again in their hearts and they don’t like that at all.

 

“I’m sorry I yelled at you the other day,” Jack speaks. “I didn’t get the chance to talk to you about it…” The siren shakes his head, knowing that the captain was right to be concerned and that what he did was frightening. “I was just… I was really scared. It would’ve been terrible if that was the last time we spoke, right?” he chuckles but there’s a hint of anxiety behind it.

 

The creature holds onto the wall, looking up at his mate. Jack says they will need to buy a new ship, probably smaller to start again, but it will take some time. They need money and Ethan will want to buy maps. It won’t be easy, but they are loyal to their captain, and they’re more than happy to try. Anti purses his lips and thinks about that golden chest with all their little gifts, all from their courting. When he asks if Ethan gave it to him, Jack nods and says that he was content to see the silver compass there. It’s both a reminder of the siren and his father now.

 

“My scale,” Anti murmurs. “Sell it.”

 

“What?”

 

“It will be worth a lot of gold, you know that,” he continues and then sends him a small smile. “You’ll always have me, instead. It’s just a scale, Jack.”

 

The brown-haired man looks heartbroken but he slowly nods, chewing on his bottom lip. Anti huffs and tells him that is alright, that he can give him a new one. Jack shakes his head, worried that the siren will end up without scales by the end of this. He already lost more of them because of the wound and now there’s an ugly patch below his waist, disfigured. Anti murmurs that he would gift them all for the boy if he could. The captain leans down a little more, stretching his hand, and the siren can’t resist but to climb just a bit. Jack touches his cheek and the creature whimpers, closing his eyes at the feeling. The human’s hand is warm and welcome, and he kisses the boy’s hand. The brown-haired man sighs with a smile, caressing his cheek and hair before pulling away. It’s such a simple touch but it makes Anti’s heart ache so strongly.

 

Before Jack leaves, the siren tells him to wait for a moment. He dives back down and searches for a few things, brushing his fingers on the sand and gathering what he can. When he comes back, he opens his hands to show all the seashells he could find right now. Jack drags a hand over his face, blushing and chuckling a bit. Anti tried to choose the most beautiful seashells for him and the brown-haired man leans down to take them all. The siren makes a clicking sound when the captain murmurs something about starting a collection, and they smile at each other. Anti watches him leave and he takes a deep breath, knowing they will be together after a couple of days. He looks down at his tail and glares, wanting it to heal already so he can join his mate.

 

For now, he distracts himself by chasing fishes underwater and eating some to satisfy his hunger. The creature cleans his scales, picking on them, wanting to look proper for his mate. Anti looks for more seashells, anything that shines and that looks pretty in his eyes. The siren sleeps most of the time and the cut on his left eye doesn’t sting as much as before. Ethan shows up every now and then, and the creature listens to him talk. He’s been selling his drawings to gather some money and Robin is hating to work in a tavern. They want to go treasure hunting and explore the sea, but Jack says that they need to be patient. Anti hums upon knowing that his mate did sell his scale, content that it will help them start over.

 

A few days pass and the creature touches his tail, salve peeling off his scales. The wound is shut and he can swim a bit faster, though there’s still that dull ache below. Anti is content nonetheless and he waits for Jack to show up, wanting to be near. He wags his tail when the human sees him and he’s wearing that blue coat, the only one he didn’t lose in the shipwreck. Jack walks to the dock and goes to the boat, looking around to make sure there’s no one close to them. Anti gathers some of the gifts he was collecting and places in the boat, seeing the boy raise an eyebrow at him. The siren shrugs and Jack shakes his head, telling him to hurry up before someone shows up.

 

Anti gets into the boat and the human takes off his long coat, placing over the siren to cover his tail. The creature grimaces, gills closing, and it hurts just like the first time he shifted. Jack hovers over him, caressing his cheek while Anti groans. He feels a terrible cramp below and his muscles spasm, changing and making the siren see white. The brown-haired man purses his lips, trying to soothe him, and he holds the creature’s hand. Anti sighs when it’s over and he pulls Jack down, hugging him and breathing in his sweet scent. The captain huffs and they finally feel that pressure on their chest leave, holding each other. Jack brushes his lips on Anti’s forehead, kissing him there. The siren bumps his nose on the human’s cheek, moving down to his mouth. The brown-haired man smiles but pulls back, saying that they can’t do that in public.

 

Jack makes him sit up and he dresses Anti with the coat, closing the buttons to hide his naked state. When they try to stand up, the siren’s legs fail and he groans. It’s been awhile since he last walked, so his body is finding it odd once more. Jack huffs and picks him up bridal-style, stepping on the dock. Anti buries his face in the crook of the boy’s neck, arms around his shoulders, and he swears. The human chuckles and the siren is so content to hear that sound again. The creature holds the little gifts in his hands while Jack takes them to the inn they’re staying. Some people look at them funny, seeing Anti dripping water everywhere, and the brown-haired man politely apologies to the owner while climbing up the stairs. They reach a small corridor and Jack fumbles with the doorknob before getting inside, adjusting the creature in his arms.

 

The room is small and there’s a simple bed in the middle of it. There’s a closet next to the mattress and a vanity table in the opposite side, with a round wooden tub in a corner. Jack places him in bed and closes the door. Anti stares at the window behind him, seeing sunlight hitting the curtains. The captain takes the seashells from his hands and places them over a desk, and the creature tilts his head, noticing a jar filled with them already. Jack comes to him, undoing the buttons of the coat and Anti lets him, just watching his mate. He is so beautiful, skin soft and pale, and the siren wants to keep that image close to his heart. He’s breathtaking. How come a human be the one to cast a spell upon a siren? Anti’s green eyes meet blue, ocean-like, and he sighs when Jack kneels down on the floor to wrap his arms around the creature’s waist.

 

The brown-haired man brushes his lips on the wound, a healing scar that Anti already hates, and he kisses him there. The siren purses his lips and his hands move to touch Jack’s hair, keeping him there. The captain rests his face on Anti’s thigh, thumbs caressing his back, and they curl around each other. Anti likes being this way. It’s soothing. Jack pecks his skin sometimes, lazily kissing him there, and he hums. The green-haired man slides his fingers down to the boy’s shirt, rolling it up to feel the bandage there. He lets out soft clicking noises, both of them feeling their wounds and trying to comfort one another.

 

“Can you take your clothes off?” Anti murmurs, knitting his eyebrows. “I just want to feel you and these things are always on the way.”

 

Jack huffs but he stands up to take off his shirt, slowly removing his pants as well. There’s something extremely intimate to see the human getting undressed and Anti smiles at him, admiring the gorgeous sight in front of him. There’s no sexual desire in the moment and it’s just _so_ calming. Quiet. Jack steps closer to him, kicking the pants away, and the siren rests his cheek against the boy’s stomach, purring softly when there’s a hand running through his hair. Anti brushes his fingers all over his mate’s body, feeling his thighs and chest. The creature likes the patch of hair that he has there and he playfully bites Jack below his navel, making him giggle. They lie down in bed, hugging and just staring at each other. The captain traces Anti’s face with his own fingers, whispering that he’s sorry again.

 

“It’s my fault, Jack,” he mumbles, feeling a bit drowsy because of his mate’s scent. “You lost everything because of me.”

 

“Not everything. I have my friends,” the brown-haired man mutters back. “I have you.”

 

“You, humans, are so sentimental,” Anti huffs.

 

“You were the one _courting_ me and giving me _gifts_ ,” Jack snorts. “You act like you’re angry all the time but you care so much. You...” he whispers. “You _cried_ for me.”

 

The siren says nothing, but thinks that he has a point. The human shakes his head, staring at him with those sapphire eyes. The green-haired man takes a deep breath and caresses his human’s cheek. He knows that Jack is trying to stay positive for all of them, but there’s a hint of sadness in his eyes that he can’t hide from the siren. Anti thinks he must be feeling the loss of his crew and all of what he had built. It can’t be easy. Even though the creature wasn’t so close from his own pack, he felt the loss of leaving and wandering alone. Perhaps, the siren and the human are more alike now. Jack calls his attention by tugging on his beard and leaning forward, closing the gap between them. Anti sighs and kisses him back, sucking on his bottom lip. They make-out for a long time, lazily feeling each other and healing their hearts.

  


⤕

  


“How about this one?”

 

Anti looks at the outfit that Ethan’s showing to him, seeing the bright red colors. He hums and tilts his head.

 

“No,” he murmurs and then scans the place a bit more until he spots something that pleases him. “I want that one.”

 

Ethan follows his gaze and smiles, saying that green is a good choice and that it matches his hair. The creature sees him buy the outfit with the shop owner after making sure that it would fit. They both ignore the weird looks and he thanks the boy once they leave to the street. Ethan urges him to hurry up and they run towards the inn between giggles, shoving one another to see who will get there first. Anti lets him win and people from the inn narrow their eyes at the two of them. The green-haired man is holding the small box with the outfit and they snicker, running upstairs. Ethan walks into the bedroom that Jack’s staying with the siren and they close the door, checking if the curtains are shut as well.

 

It’s been around a week since they arrived in this town and they finally had enough money to buy something for Anti. Ethan kept nudging him, wanting to explore the town with him, and the siren couldn’t resist his request. Jack’s been out for a few hours now, probably buying maps with Robin or just looking at ships, so they thought this was the perfect time. Anti takes off his clothes without a shame and Ethan opens the box with the outfit, not bothered as well. Once he’s done removing his pants and boots, the creature looks at the boy to see him holding the garment in excitement. He tells Anti to stand up and he helps the siren to get dressed in it. The green-haired man knits his eyebrows, focusing on doing this right.

 

Ethan places the black shirt over his head and Anti likes how it leaves his shoulders exposed, falling down to show his collar bones. The baggy sleeves go down just to his elbows and the long garment that will fall down to his legs are of a dark green color. There’s also an extra layer on top of it that is black and it gives the outfit a lot of volume. Ethan tells him to turn around and Anti narrows his eyes when the boy starts placing the corset around his waist. He huffs and touches the wall for support, feeling the young sailor tugging on the damn thing to tie it up.

 

“I _have_ to breathe, kid,” Anti huffs. “Don’t kill me yet.”

 

“Oh, sorry!” Ethan laughs. “I’m done, though.”

 

Anti swears, taking a deep breath, and he puts on the new long boots. He walks towards a full-body mirror to see himself from head to toes. His green hair is curly, a bit longer now, falling over his forehead, and he’s wearing black earrings this time. Anti’s freckles show beautifully with this shirt and the dark green corset makes him look way slimmer, curved hips exposed. His eyes fall down to the black skirt that stays in the front, over the green. There are several layers of fabric and Anti moves his hips, liking how the dress sways left and right. He moves his foot to see the high boots, black leather shining. The siren looks back at Ethan and they exchange a big smile.

 

“I deserve to know Jack’s reaction after this, you know that, right?” Ethan says and Anti snorts, nodding. “Good. I’ll leave you now, I’m sure he’ll come back soon.”

 

“Hey, kid,” the creature calls him before he goes away and the young sailor hums, raising an eyebrow. The siren walks up to him and he rests his forehead against Ethan’s, ruffling his hair. “Thank you,” he whispers.

 

“You’re welcome,” the boy smiles and Anti lets him ruffle his hair back. “Now, wreck him.”

 

The green-haired man watches him leave and he looks back at himself in the mirror, placing a hand over his stomach. He purses his lips, clenching his hands into fists every now and then. Anti can’t believe that he’s doing this. He can’t help but feel anxious, worried if Jack will really like to see him this way. The green-haired man doesn’t care that some outfits are for specific people, it’s just fabric to him. This dress fits him so well and he loves how it sways whenever he moves. The high boots are also comfortable for him, matching the black of his garment and earrings. He peeks through the curtains, wanting to see the world outside the window, and he chews his bottom lip. Anti huffs, thinking it’s ridiculous that he’s feeling so nervous.

 

He all but jumps out of his skin when the door creaks open and he turns around to see his mate standing in the doorway with wide eyes. Jack’s wearing simple clothes and he just closes the door, placing the maps over the desk while still looking at the siren. His mouth falls open, scanning Anti up and down, and the creature fidgets with the long earring, tugging on it. He glares when Jack says nothing for a long time and the little confidence that he had is slowly fading, making him feel stupid. He growls and shakes his head, murmuring that this was a mistake. The captain steps forward in a quick motion, cupping the creature’s face, and Anti gasps. Jack kisses him hard, beards brushing, and tongue sliding into his mouth. The siren moans and the human wraps his arms around his waist, feeling the outfit.

 

“You’re gorgeous…” Jack mumbles and their lips brush when he speaks. “You’re so fucking beautiful, I can’t believe you’re mine…” Anti ducks his head, blushing. The boy has to look up at him because of the high boots and it’s adorable. “You’re wearing a dress.”

 

“I am,” he giggles, beaming with happiness. “Do you like it? You were so quiet.”

 

“Goddamnit, Anti…” the brown-haired man kisses him again, biting his bottom lip. “Yes. Yes, I do. I want to _ravish_ you.”

 

The siren moans when Jack goes down to his neck, hands wandering everywhere. He laughs when the captain pushes him against a wall, fumbling with the layers of the dress. The boy groans when he sees that Anti is wearing long black boots, saying he’s killing his mate. Jack lifts him up and the green-haired man locks his legs around the boy’s waist, arms around his shoulders. They kiss, humping against each other and moaning in pleasure. The siren licks Jack’s neck, biting him there, and the human groans. He curses and puts the creature back down. Anti’s knees buckle and he falls onto the floor. Jack follows him, pushing all the layers of the dress up and Anti knits his eyebrows, asking what he’s doing. Jack smirks before going under the outfit and the green-haired man gasps when he feels the boy’s mouth around his cock.

 

“Ah, fuck…” he whispers, leaning his back against the wall and looking down to see Jack’s head moving up and down underneath the garment.

 

The brown-haired man hums, caressing his inner thighs, and Anti’s eyes roll back when his mate’s tongue circles around the tip of his cock. The creature pants, moving his hips up and scratching his claws on the floor. He curses again when Jack sucks him harder and he chokes, feeling a knot below his stomach. Anti whines and he tells Jack to stop, that he wants to feel the boy inside of him. The captain comes back up, face red and panting, and the creature growls. He pulls Jack closer to him, clashing their mouths together and tasting himself. They moan and there’s a string of saliva between them when they break the kiss. The brown-haired man sighs when Anti licks his mouth and the siren rolls up his shirt, undressing his human.

 

The siren pushes him back, until he’s lying naked on the floor, and the green-haired man crawls to be on top of him, dress covering the boy like a blanket. Anti’s hand wander down to the human’s side, knowing that there’s a long red scar there, and they sigh. The creature shines when Jack touches his waist, where his own injury is, and they exchange a look. Anti strokes the boy’s cock while he sucks on his own fingers, wanting to prep himself. The brown-haired man moans, buckling his hips up and breathing hard.

 

“We h-have a bed, you know…” Jack breathes.

 

“Jack,” Anti says with a strained voice, curving his fingers inside himself. He thrusts into his hand, mouth ajar and eyes fluttering. “We would break that bed...”

 

The human laughs and moans when the siren slowly slides down to his cock, stretching himself. Jack’s hands hold him by the waist and he murmurs that he loves that corset, tugging on it. Anti smirks and thrusts forward, placing his arms above Jack’s shoulders for support. They mewl at the sound of their skins slapping and the green-haired man growls louder, chest hurting for breathing too hard. His heart is beating frantically and he likes that Jack is admiring him, hazy blue eyes locked with his. The captain suddenly flips them around and creature huffs, adjusting the dress layers because it fell all over him. Jack puts Anti’s legs up, touching the high boots and brushing his lips down to the siren’s thighs. Anti shivers and sobs when the boy fucks him harder. He’s just pounding against the creature’s ass and Anti wails, locking his legs around him and bringing him down. Jack grabs the dress and tugs hard until they hear it tearing apart.

 

“N-No,” Anti pants. “I like t-this dress. I just bought it, Jack.”

 

“I’ll buy you a new one,” Jack whispers into his ear and rips the fabric with his bare hands. “I will give you a-anything you want, baby.”

 

Anti smirks and says that he wants to cum, making the human groan and thrust faster. Jack tears more of his dress and the green-haired man scratches his back in return, both of them making loud noises. The siren purrs and the heat below his stomach burns so sweetly, making him arch his back. Anti curls his toes and throws his head back, letting out a keen sound when he reaches climax. Jack hums and bites his earlobe, praising him while the siren convulses on the floor. He feels the human filling him up, coming inside of him, and they groan under their breaths. The creature moans with the waves of his orgasm, feeling content and warm. Jack crashes on top of him with a huff, burying his face in the crook of his neck.

 

The captain slowly moves up and down with Anti’s breathing and they are quiet, enjoying their bliss. The siren blinks lazily and he drags a hand over his face, pushing damp strands of green hair away from his forehead. He clenches his asshole and they gasp, too sensitive right now. Jack moves just enough to look down at him, still panting a bit, and he has a beautiful blush on his face.

 

“W-Whose idea was that…?”

 

Anti bites his bottom lip, holding back a grin. “Ethan and I had some thoughts about this.”

 

“Goddamnit… You two are going to give me so much trouble,” Jack shakes his head. He caresses Anti’s cheek, a sense of calm overwhelming them. The captain traces the siren’s lips with his fingers, looking like he’s in deep thought. Anti watches him through half-lidded eyes. “I…” he whispers. “I love you.”

 

The siren’s green eyes widen and his whole body glows harder than ever, radiating for his mate. It’s _so_ intense and overwhelming that Jack squints his eyes, looking away, because it hurts. Anti’s heart feels like it’ll burst in his ribcage, filled with emotions that he can’t even fully understand. He swallows, throat closing, and he makes an effort to glow less and not blind his mate. Jack blinks a couple of times and looks at him with awe. Anti knits his eyebrows and he tries to hold back but the corners of his eyes are already burning, and Jack brushes a few tears away.

 

“Hey,” he murmurs. “C’mon, now. I feel terrible knowing that I made my siren cry twice…”

 

“I just…” Anti whispers, glaring at himself so he can stop crying. “I never thought that-, I just didn’t think someone would ever…” he trails off, feeling a lump in his throat. Jack has tears in his eyes as well, listening to the siren. “I’m not good and yet you’re so…”

 

“Anti,” Jack interrupts him. “You’re a good mate. Believe me. You’re the most fascinating thing that has ever happened to me. I mean it.”

 

The siren sighs and looks up at him, thinking for a moment. He touches Jack’s messy hair and remembers everything that’s happened. He blinks and smiles, tugging on his boy’s beard. “I love you too.”

 

The brown-haired man leans down to kiss him, both of them sighing and breathing in each other’s scent. It’s calm and sweet, a sense of peace comforting their souls. Anti’s lungs fill with air and everything feels so slow. There’s that thought again that he will do anything for this boy in his arms. He wants to protect him, to make him happy. It’s like a string that connects both of their hearts, bringing them together.

  


⤕

  


Anti walks on the dock next to Jack, feeling his own black coat sway with the wind, and they stop in front of a ship. It’s a bit smaller than the previous one but the siren likes its dark wood and the blue sails. The creature smiles when he sees Robin and Ethan waving from the ship, waiting for them already, and Jack tilts his hat for them. Anti just raises his hand briefly, his own silver rings shining under the sunlight, and they step inside. Robin and Anti exchange a look, nodding at each other, and Ethan compliments the creature’s black outfit and eyeliner. Anti bows for him, showing off his long coat and jewelry. Jack whistles, calling his attention, and the siren goes to him.

 

Jack says he has something to show him and he covers Anti’s eyes, opening the door to the captain’s quarters. The creature frowns but lets the human guide him inside. When the brown-haired man removes his hands from his face, Anti gasps and his eyebrows go up. There’s a glass tank in the corner of the room, filled with water, and the creature walks towards it, wooden floor creaking under black boots. He likes the golden frame that supports it all and it looks big enough to fit him. When he looks around the room, he sees all the seashells he gave to his human in a couple of jars, next to their bed. Jack’s chewing his bottom lip and Anti huffs with a smile. The siren pulls him for a kiss, beards brushing, and he thanks his mate. The captain grins.

 

“I don’t want to keep you away from the sea,” Jack says. “But I thought this would make things easier.”

 

“I like it,” Anti whispers and then smirks. “It’s good for sex, too.”

 

“Anti!”

 

“What? It’s true. You know that you can fuck me even when I’m fully shifted, I have a slit right on my-”

 

“Oh my god, please stop talking!” Robin yells in despair when he walks by the door. “I don’t need this!”

 

The siren snorts but says that he would love to have his mate there with him. Jack flushes, pursing his lips as if he’s thinking about it. The creature winks at him, knowing that it will happen, but then he just looks at Jack. _Really_ looks at him. It’s quiet for a moment and, this time, the siren lets himself drown in the human’s sapphire eyes. When they stare at each other, it feels like _home._ Anti hums and he frowns to himself, suddenly having a weird thought. Maybe it’s the way the human smiles at him or how his eyelashes softly bat against his porcelain skin that makes him realize something. Perhaps is just the way Jack’s eyes shine whenever he looks at him. The boy asks what he’s thinking and the siren’s lips part, shaking his head.

 

“I just had a thought that…” he murmurs. “If there is an afterlife or something like that… I don’t know, it just hit me.” The siren knits his eyebrows, trying to understand himself. “I think I will always look for you, no matter what world we live in.”

 

“Well…” Jack blinks and then huffs, raising a hand to caress Anti’s hair. “Then I’ll always wait for you.”

 

They smile and they hear the others calling for them. Ethan yells at them to stop flirting and Anti sticks his split tongue out at him when they leave the captain’s quarters. Jack pats Anti’s cheek before going to Robin and the green-haired man helps Ethan with the ropes, both of them setting the sails. The young sailor looks at him and makes a face, saying he’s a bit disappointed that Anti doesn’t need to wear an eyepatch. The siren huffs and touches the cut on his left eye, a long line that goes down to his cheek. He looks up at the blue sails when they fall open and Robin takes care of the anchor so they can finally leave this place.

 

Jack whistles, calling their attention, and the siren sees his mate behind the wheel. He walks up to the quarter deck, staying by the boy’s side, and he takes that silver compass from his pocket. Anti brushes his fingers over the scrollwork and opens it, seeing Jack doing the same with his golden compass. They exchange a look and the green-haired man can’t believe in everything that they’ve been through. Their hearts beat for each other and Anti didn’t think he would be here, next to someone that he would die for. Jack sends him a smile, as if he knows what the siren is thinking. He will never get over how beautiful this human is and how easily he stole a siren’s heart. That is the biggest proof that Jack is indeed a pirate. Robin asks where they will go and the captain looks forward, chin up while the ship moves with the waves of the ocean, wind blowing their coats. They all look at Jack, waiting for his answer.

 

“Let the sea guide us,” the captain says, tilting his hat, and Anti grins. “As steady as she goes!”

  


⤕

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know there will be a bonus chapter after this, more as a gift for you guys, but this is officially the end of DMIYA and I knew exactly the words I wanted to end on. I wanted it to let you imagine what could happen, imagine their next adventures. So if you feel like stopping here, there's no problem at all. Even though I'll still upload something a bit shorter for you guys in a few days, I wanted to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. I almost gave up on this story. When I was writing, around what would be Chapter 3 (it wasn't public yet), I felt horrible and I didn't like this at all. I thought I wasn't writing something worth reading it. I started posting a bit worried, wondering if I was going to leave it unfinished. But you guys supported me so much and showed your love towards this little story. It made me so happy and it inspired me to keep going. I absolutely love reading your comments and, even though it can be a bit repetitive, I love replying to all of you. I've seen nothing but support and love, I met great people because of these stories. I can't wait to show you guys what I have in mind. There were so many people making stuff for this AU and it blew me away! I'm leaving links to all of them and I'll put my usual ones (with the playlist and storyboard) for the other chapter, because this is getting too long already hahah. Just, seriously, thank you all so much! It's been awesome! See you all in the bonus chapter! ♥ :)
> 
> \- Fanarts:  
> koroemotions: [1](http://koroemotions.tumblr.com/post/171346405216/i-dont-draw-anymore-but-sometimes-only) [2](http://koroemotions.tumblr.com/post/171595858201/for-sparklepines-it-will-take-me-a-while-to-fix)  
> [kalehdo](http://kalehdo.tumblr.com/post/171396321960/currently-in-love-with-strawberry-soos-siren)  
> [cutewarmachine](http://sparklepines.tumblr.com/post/171810015889)  
> [concernedfriend](https://concernedfriend.tumblr.com/post/171848001617/aah-ive-never-really-liked-siren-aus-but)  
> [trashcansasha](https://trashcansasha.tumblr.com/post/171864883452/second-thoughts-a-thing-to-celebrate-the)  
> [wasted-jack](https://wasted-jack.tumblr.com/post/171528896117/a-little-something-for-sparklepines-their)  
> [my own](http://sparklepines.tumblr.com/post/171451321744)  
> \- Edits:  
> [taterztots](https://taterztots.tumblr.com/post/171524900206/currently-obsessed-with-sparklepines-sirenau)  
> [this-aestheticallypleasing-blog](https://www.tumblr.com/dashboard/blog/this-aestheticallypleasing-blog/171519913215)  
> \- [buy me a coffee?](ko-fi.com/sparklepines)  
> 


	9. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope Guillermo del Toro would be proud of me... [blows kiss to the ocean]

EPILOGUE

 

 

Anti’s tail wags in the water and he hums, liking to be in the tank that his mate got for him. He fits nicely and it’s not uncomfortable like that wooden tub. He pushes some strands of damp green hair away from his face and huffs. It’s getting longer than usual, hitting his chin when it’s wet, and he’s still wondering whether he should cut it or not. Jack seems to like it, thought, always playing with his hair. He rests his arms on the edge, seeing his captain at his desk. Anti purrs, wanting to call his attention, and Jack hums while still looking down at his maps and notes. The siren glares and purrs louder, splashing a bit of water with his tail until the human sighs.

 

“What?”

 

“Jack…” he whines. “C’mere…”

 

“I’m busy,” the boy murmurs and Anti whines louder, resting his chin on the edge when Jack finally looks at him. The siren blinks sweetly, swishing his tail. “Anti… We’ve talked about this,” he warns the creature.

 

The siren huffs in annoyance, frowning. “You barely had time for me these past few days and I get bored in this ship. I even went to Robin to get distracted at some point. Robin, you hear me? Robin!” Anti says. “I miss you.”

 

Jack smiles when he hears that and he walks closer to the siren, raising a hand to touch his cheek. The boy has to look up at him because the tank is a bit higher than them and Anti thinks that’s endearing. He leans into the touch and Jack rubs his thumb on his cheek, smiling more when the siren glows. The green-haired creature grins when the boy gives in and starts taking off his shirt. Anti will never get tired to see him getting undressed and he asks for Jack to do it slowly, purring when the captain tugs on his own belt before taking it off. The boy climbs up a small ladder on the end of the tank, completely naked, and he gets inside. Anti goes to him, wrapping his arms around his mate’s waist and spinning them in circles. Jack giggles and touches the back of the siren’s head, caressing him.

 

They lean forward, brushing their lips together before kissing. Anti sighs and cups the human’s face, tilting his head to feel their tongues sliding into their mouths. Jack hums and the siren wraps his tail around one of his legs, bringing them closer to an edge so the creature can rest his back against the glass. The kiss is slow and sweet, and Anti all but melts in his arms. The captain smirks, pecking his lips over and over, and his hand touches the black lines on Anti’s chest. There’s a wind rose tattoo on the left side of his chest, over his heart, and the siren likes how it matches Jack’s with the thick black details.  

 

“I missed you too,” Jack whispers and goes down to his neck. “I missed my siren.”

 

Anti moans, eyes fluttering when the human bites his skin, and he tightens his grip on his mate’s waist. Jack’s hands move down to his tail and he gasps, flinching when he touches his scar there. They exchange a look and the boy whispers an apology. The green-haired man purses his lips and says that it’s alright. It’s been a bit difficult for him to get used to that scar, to that part of his body with no scales. That marred skin is ugly in his eyes but Jack insists that he finds it beautiful, always making sure to kiss it when Anti shifts. He sighs and caresses the boy’s back, shivering when Jack’s hands continue to touch him there. His scales bristle with the light contact and the boy raises his eyebrows in curiosity.

 

Jack kisses him harder this time, sucking on his bottom lip, and their kiss makes sweet sounds in the air. Anti gasps when his mate caresses him more, moving his hands up and down, and he moans louder. He’s much more sensitive in his true form and it doesn’t help that the captain has been away from him, barely touching each other. Anti squirms underneath him, tail wagging in water, and his gills move faster so he can breathe. The brown-haired man humps lightly against his tail and the siren sucks in air, ear fins going flat.

 

“Jack…” he whines and flushes when the boy’s hands move to his back, where his ass would be, and thrusts again. “Fuck.”

 

Anti pants and puts his arms around his mate’s shoulder, bringing him closer, and Jack gasps. He’s getting hard and the siren squirms when he keeps humping his tail, over and over. The creature lets out clicking sounds and his scales move every time Jack thrusts harder. His mate whimpers and curses out loud, not quite believing that he’s doing this. Anti is embarrassed by his own noises and his scales move below his navel, showing a gap there. Jack’s cock twitches and he looks at the creature through his eyelashes, breathing faster. He seems anxious but there’s lust in his eyes. Anti rubs his cheek against his mate’s, purring and glowing.

 

“I… I don’t want to hurt you,” Jack whispers, pushing some strands of hair away from his forehead. “Promise me you’ll let me know.”

 

“I will, I promise,” Anti mumbles. “Please, Seán...”

 

The captain groans at his real name and he holds the siren with one hand while the other moves to the edge of the tank, supporting himself like this. Anti’s mouth falls open when the human penetrates him, slowly pushing his cock into his opening. Jack shudders, saying he’s cold, and the creature tightens the grip of his tail around the boy’s leg. He whimpers and he can’t stop squirming, feeling too much. Jack huffs, never seeing the siren like this, and he moves forward. Anti tenses up and he throws his head back, knitting his eyebrows in pleasure. The water splashes when Jack fucks him harder, panting and moaning. Anti grabs the edge of the tank, knuckles turning white, and he mewls. The green-haired siren forgets how to breathe again and the captain touches his cheek, murmuring sweet nothings.

 

“Oh god, l-look at you,” Jack mutters with a strained voice, pounding against the siren. “I love doing t-this to you. You’re so needy…” he continues and then he sees the siren oozing a green slime, like a lubricant, smearing his scales. “Fuck, Anti.”

 

“S-Shut up,” Anti grunts and scratches the boy’s back, burying his face in the crook of his neck.

 

He growls and his tail wraps around the boy completely, pulling them down. Jack takes a deep breath, going underwater, and he’s shaking a bit from the cold. It doesn’t stop him from fucking the siren as hard as he can, splashing water onto the floor. The creature wails, sound muffled, and he scratches the glass with his talons. He looks down at his body to see Jack’s cock moving in and out of him, scales shining. Anti’s eyes rolls back, heart beating too fast against his ribcage, and the heat burning below his stomach is too overwhelming. The captain kisses him, seeking for air, and the sight of them having sex underwater makes Anti’s heart flutters. The siren can’t help but spin them around, like mates would do, and they come back to the surface with a gasp.

 

Anti chokes and drools, arms falling to his sides and tail flowing mid-water. The human laughs and he has to hold the creature now, telling Anti to at least grab his shoulders. The siren can’t speak, too overwhelmed. He purrs and tries holding onto his mate, but he feels like jello. Anti’s glowing and sobbing, the back of his tail hitting the tank over and over due to Jack’s movements. It’s too much. The thought of them having sex this way, like sirens do, drives him insane. He’s whining and letting out keening sounds, flushing all over.

 

“I’m g-gonna cum,” Anti chokes.

 

Jack holds his face up, saying that he wants to look at the siren when he cums, and Anti sobs. He pulses hard and his tail goes stiff, waves of orgasm hitting him. The captain mewls, feeling the creature’s opening clenching around his cock, and he swears out loud when he slides deeper. Anti bites Jack’s neck so hard, it breaks his skin, and the captain groans, unloading inside the creature. They moan and gasp for air, convulsing in the water. The green-haired siren shudders all over and he sees white, mouth wide open and glassy eyes staring at the ceiling. Jack keeps thrusting into him until he’s completely spent, body spasming. The captain takes a deep breath and they’re trembling, letting out weak moans. He whimpers when his mate pulls out, cum leaking from his opening and smearing his scales even more. It’s quiet for a full minute, both of them panting and trying to recover.

 

“I-I…” Jack’s voice is hoarse and it cracks. “Fucking hell…” he whispers and then touches Anti’s cheeks. “Are you alright? Anti?” There’s static in his mind and the siren can’t find the strength to speak in their language, only letting out weak clicking sounds. Jack caresses his hair and the creature fights to focus on him, pupils too wide. “C’mon, baby, talk to me… Did I hurt you?”

 

Anti shakes his head and sighs, resting his cheek against Jack’s shoulder. The boy huffs and hugs him, locking his legs around his tail. The captain waits for Anti to come back from his high, caressing his wet green hair and kissing his forehead. The siren blinks lazily, not quite thinking, and his heart calms down. Everything is in slow motion and he’s just so content, so at peace. He purrs, shining so his mate will know that he’s alright, and Jack calls for him again. He’s being so patient and it makes the siren’s heart swell. Anti tentatively moves again, bumping his nose on the boy’s neck and licking where he hurt him.

 

“I love you,” Anti murmurs and Jack laughs, a sound that’s filled with affection.

 

“I think I broke you,” he says.

 

The creature looks up at him, admiring his smile through half-lidded eyes, and Jack shines in his eyes. The brown-haired man tells Anti that he will touch him again, wanting to make sure that he’s not hurt, and the siren hums. Jack’s fingers brush against his entrance and he gasps, tensing up again when they slide inside. The human curves his fingers and he lets out a soft giggle when Anti’s mouth falls open. The creature tries hissing, knowing his mate is teasing him for being so sensitive right now, but it ends like a purr. Jack adjusts him in his arms, huffing because the siren is all heavy. When the boy picks on his scales, Anti gasps and his hand immediately wraps around Jack’s wrist to stop him.

 

“What are you doing?” the siren breathes.

 

“I’m… I’m cleaning you,” Jack replies and then raises his eyebrows when Anti ducks his head. “Does that mean something?”

 

The green-haired creature glares at himself, wanting wake up and think properly. He groans under his breath and lifts his head, tucking a few strands of hair behind his ear. “It’s intimate,” he murmurs. “Only mates can do this to another siren.”

 

Jack’s lips part and his blue eyes lock with the creature’s, serious. “May I?”

 

Anti swallows and nods, wrapping his arms around Jack’s shoulders and breathing in his scent. The human picks on his scales, cleaning them, and the siren’s heart aches. He rubs his cheek against his mate’s, kissing his neck and caressing his hair in return. Jack is so careful, murmuring everything that he will do so he won’t scare the siren, and Anti couldn’t wish for a better mate. There’s a brief thought that makes him blush and the captain seems to notice his sudden change of behavior, clinging more onto him. When he asks what’s in his mind, Anti sighs and his tail lazily moves in water.

 

If Jack was a creature like him, there would be a possibility of them procreating and this is the closest they’ve ever gotten to actual mating like sirens. The green-haired man is content, feeling their bond gaining more strength, and he tells Jack all of that. The captain turns a bit pale, not knowing much about how they reproduce. He looks worried now and his eyes flicker down to Anti’s opening, still cleaning on his scales. The siren purses his lips and knits his eyebrows, feeling hurt to see that reaction. He just shared something extremely intimate with his mate but the human’s aura is anxious now. Anti thinks he regrets having sex with him this way and he huffs.

 

“Nothing is going to happen, if that’s what you’re thinking.” Anti glares and takes the boy’s hands away from him. “Forget it.”

 

“Baby,” Jack says, a light frown on his face. “Don’t be like this. I’m sorry but this is new to me as well. It’s… It’s a bit weird to think that you could, you know…”

 

“I said to forget about it.”

 

“I don’t want to end a moment like this, with you upset.”

 

Anti shakes his head and turns around to lift himself up on the edge, waiting for his body to shift. Jack groans and swims to the other side, getting out to dry himself. The siren crosses his arms and winces when there are cramps below his waist, changing. The captain keeps talking to him, saying he’s being too sensitive, and Anti scoffs. He growls and all but jumps down with his legs, grabbing a towel. He doesn’t know why he’s suddenly so hurt. They just had amazing sex, followed by an intimate moment that only mates are able to share, but Jack’s aura is throwing him off. The captain is certainly worried about what he did now, after what Anti said to him. About... He groans.

 

He puts on some pants and grabs a white shirt in his hands before leaving the captain’s quarters. Jack calls for him but Anti just keeps walking, placing the garment over his head. He purses his lips, seeing some new crew members looking at him. He nods at them all and they greet him politely, still getting used to a siren. Jack made sure that each one of them knew about him and he tracked their history to make sure of their intentions. Anti likes their aura, specially of one called Bob. He walks downstairs, spotting Ethan between the crates, sketching by himself. Anti pushes some hammocks away while he walks to him and the young sailor raises an eyebrow. The siren sits next to him, tucking damp strands of green hair behind his ear. He sighs, knowing he looks like a mess.

 

“Did you guys fight again?” Ethan asks.

 

“There was no fight,” Anti whispers. “Not this time.”

 

“But you’re upset.”

 

The siren drags a hand over his face and groans. Ethan rolls his eyes and calls them idiots. The boy says that he will listen, if the siren wants to talk. Anti knows that, he has done this before, and he’s grateful for it. They’ve been very close after Ethan got him a dress and the creature treats him like the little brother that he never had. The young sailor looks at his hair and ask if he wants him to cut it a bit. Anti sighs and nods, watching Ethan search for some scissors and razor. He stays behind the siren and touches his hair, pulling it all back. Anti lets him do whatever he wants and he talks about what happened. The sailor groans at how ridiculous they are and the creature rumbles.

 

“Are you telling that the captain got scared of you having his babies _after_ fucking you?”

 

“Kid,” Anti shakes his head. “Don’t put it like that.”

 

Ethan laughs madly. “But that’s what you’re telling me! Oh my god, this is hilarious!” Anti glares, watching a few strands of hair fall in front of him. “Okay, fine. Seriously… Jack is your mate right? He will understand, just give him some time. I mean, Anti, c’mon. You’re a _siren_ and you just basically told him that you can get _pregnant._ He still mumbles about how surreal everything feels with you whenever he gets drunk.”

 

“I…” the creature mutters. “I wouldn’t mind to…” Anti groans. “I think it’s the bond talking, wishing for something to happen. I know it won’t. He’s not a siren. It’s not like he can lay eggs inside me.”

 

“Please, don’t. I don’t wanna know,” Ethan shakes his head. “I’m too young for this. My innocence, Anti. Innocence.”

 

The creature raises an eyebrow, smirking. “I’d give birth to a baby in a sort of pouch so it would hatch, by the way.”

 

“Stop!” the boy shrieks and Anti snickers. It’s quiet after that and he sighs, listening to the boy cutting his hair. “I can’t believe you have a mother-instinct in you,” Ethan giggles to himself and then pats his shoulder. “I’m done.”

 

The creature touches his hair and the sailor picks up a small mirror to show him. Ethan cut his sides to be shorter again, like Jack’s, and his curly green hair is hitting his cheeks now. The sailor gives him something to tie his hair up and Anti touches his curls, pushing them back to make them into a bun. He can see better now and Ethan looks pleased. The siren thanks him and he feels calmer. They spend more time together, just chatting until Robin calls for them to eat. They walk to the main deck and he sees everyone gathering in a circle, sun setting behind them. Anti’s eyes meet with Jack’s from across the ship. The siren unconsciously tries to tuck some of his hair behind his ear, despite being tied up.

 

The captain steps forward but someone stops him, wanting to speak with Jack. Anti recognizes Wade and he likes his laughter as well. He huffs and sits next to Ethan and Bob, eating in quiet. The chubbier man keeps making fish jokes and Anti raises an eyebrow, holding back a smile. Bob says that, one day, he will make the siren laugh. Jack watches them from the other side, sipping his beer and crossing his arms. It feels a bit like deja vú, both frustrated with each other and not talking. Just sending quick glances from across the ship.

 

Ethan is right. They _are_ fucking idiots.

 

When the night falls, he goes to Jack, seeing him looking at the sea. He’s resting his elbows on the edge of the ship and it looks like the first time he saw the human, with a faint orange glow coming from the lanterns. Anti bumps his nose on Jack’s cheek, calling his attention, and his boy sighs. The ship creaks, swaying with the tide, and the waves sing for them.

 

“I’m sorry,” the siren says. “I should have told you before. I don’t like seeing you upset.” Then, he whispers, looking down. “You can still have sex with me when I’m like this… You don’t have to do it when I’m just a siren.”

 

“Anti,” Jack murmurs, placing a finger under his chin so they can look at each other. “That’s not the problem. I’m sorry too. It just… It took me by surprise. I didn’t know that you wanted that to happen. We say stupid things when we are frustrated. You’re _my_ siren, alright?”

 

The siren flushes and says that it’s the bond between them. It’s natural that sirens feel that way towards their mate, that they feel a pull for something more every now and then. It doesn’t have to happen. Anti likes how things are, just the two of them. Ethan is already enough, always acting like a child. Jack snorts and agrees. They exchange a look and the captain leans forward to kiss him, murmuring that he loved to have sex with the creature in that way. That he wants to do it again. Anti can wish for anything and he will try to understand, to make him happy. The green-haired man smiles between kisses, glowing.

 

They hear the men screaming and booing behind them and Anti hisses, playfully. Jack yells back, giving them the middle finger while telling them to respect their captain. The siren snorts and wraps his arms around Jack’s waist, pulling him closer to kiss him hard. They can hear Robin groaning and Ethan shrieking in the background while they continue to make-out, beards brushing. Jack caresses his hair and tilts his head, sighing into his mouth. The human brushes his fingers over Anti’s chest, where the tattoo is. When they break the kiss, he mumbles that he loves Anti’s hair like this and the siren bumps their noses together.

 

The moon shines above them and the sea sings louder than ever. Jack looks ahead and sighs, stars twinkling. The siren’s heart beats for him and his frustration fades away. They are so silly sometimes and he smiles at that thought, both stubborn. Anti’s fingers brush over his tattoo, content that he has one like Jack’s. The green-haired man wanted something that showed how much he loves his mate. Something that says he will let Jack guide him anywhere in the sea. The creature will follow. He will stay by his side, no matter what. Even when things get difficult. Jack looks at him, batting his long eyelashes against porcelain skin, and Anti fills his lungs with air. He memorizes this moment, this sight, keeping it close to his heart. The siren caresses his mate’s cheek and he smiles, thinking that he can’t wait for tomorrow to come.

 

 

⤕

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have this [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kChRlveqBeU) as ending credits! ♥  
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> [storyboard](https://pinterest.com/sparklepines/drown-me-in-your-arms/)  
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> 


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